Ulrich  Middeldorf 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/autobiographyrem00trum_0 


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^ x umv  06  U iN  JJ  U JN  I 

WILEY  AND  PUTNAM 

NEW  haven: 

B.  L.  HAMLEN. 


1841 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 


REMINISCENCES  AND  LETTERS 


OF 


* 


JOHN  TRUMBULL, 


FROM 


1756  to  1841. 


NEW  YORK  & LONDON: 
WILEY  AND  PUTNAM. 

NEW  haven: 

B.  L.  HAMLEN. 

1841. 


\ 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1841, 
By  John  Trumbull, 

In  the  Clerk’s  office  of  the  District  Court  of  Connecticut. 


\ 


NEW  HAVEN: 
PRINTED  BY  B.  L.  HAMLEN. 


THE  6TTTV  CiWTfP 


CONTENTS. 


to 

CHAPTER  I. 

Age,1  1 to  19 — 1756  to  1775 — 19  years. 

Page. 

Parentage — Infancy  and  sickness — Recovery  and  early  studies — 
Read  Greek  at  six  years  old — Rapid  progress — Prepared  to  enter 
Harvard  at  twelve — Anecdote  of  Zachary  the  Indian  chief — Enter 
college  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  a half,  in  the  Junior  year' — Supe- 
rior preparation  and  danger  of  idleness  and  dissipation — Saved 
by  poverty  and  the  study  of  the  French  language — Keep  the 
school  of  my  most  excellent  master  during  a dangerous  illness — 
Approach  of  the  Revolution — Study  military  affairs,  . . 1 


CHAPTER  II. 

Age,  19  fo  21—1775  to  1777—2  years. 

Revolution — Enter  the  army  as  adjutant  of  the  1st  Connecticut 
regiment,  commanded  by  Gen.  Spencer — Stationed  at  Roxbury — 
Distant  view  of  the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill — Death  of  my  favor- 
ite sister — Arrival  of  Gen.  Washington — Early  promotion  to  the 
rank  of  his  aid-du-camp — Succeeded  by  Edmund  Randolph  of  Vir- 
ginia— Major  of  brigade  of  the  right  wing  of  the  army — Draw  a 
plan  of  Boston,  and  of  the  surrounding  positions  of  the  blockading 
army — Present  at  the  occupation  of  Dorchester  Heights — Evacu- 
ation of  Boston — March  of  the  army  to  New  York — There  occu- 
pied quarters  in  Col.  Rutgers’s  house — Division  encamped  on  the 
neighboring  high  grounds  of  Corlaer’s  Hook — Gen.  Gates,  late 
adjutant  general  of  the  army,  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  gen- 
eral, and  to  the  command  of  the  Northern  department,  with  the 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


power  of  naming  his  adjutant  and  quarter-master  general — Offers 
me  the  situation  of  adjutant  general,  with  the  rank  of  colonel — 
Accept,  and  on  the  28th  of  July,  1776,  leave  my  employment  of 
major  of  brigade  and  go  with  him  to  Albany — Proceed  to  join  the 
army  at  Crown  Point — Ordered  to  fall  back  on  Ticonderoga — Mel- 
ancholy return  of  the  army,  five  thousand  two  hundred  ; two  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  sick — Occupation  of  the  campaign — Plan  of 
the  military  position  of  Ticonderoga — Mount  Independence  and 
Mount  Defiance — Suggest  a new  plan  of  defense  for  this  post — 
Close  of  the  campaign — Attend  Gen.  Gates  to  Albany,  and  New- 
town in  Pennsylvania — Join  Gen.  Washington — Ordered  with  Gen. 
Arnold  to  Providence — Resignation,  ..... 

CPIAPTER  III. 

Age,  20  to  21—1777. 

Letters  to  and  from  a member  of  Congress,  explanatory  of  the 
motives  of  my  resignation — Debate  upon  the  subject,  and  final  ac- 
ceptance by  Congress, 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Age,  21  to  24—1777  to  1780—3  years. 

Return  to  Lebanon,  and  to  painting  ; after  some  time  to  Boston — 
Hire  the  painting  room  built  by  Mr.  Smibert — In  it  find  some  of 
his  works,  of  great  use — No  one  in  Boston  capable  of  giving  me 
instruction,  Mr.  Copley  being  gone  to  Europe — Club  of  young  gen- 
tlemen recently  from  Harvard — Anecdote  of  Dr.  Korant,  an  ex- 
Jesuit  from  South  America — In  1778,  plan  for  recovering  posses- 
sion of  Rhode  Island,  by  a combined  attack  by  a French  fleet  under , 
the  Count  D’Estaing,  and  an  army  commanded  by  Gen.  Sullivan — 
Offer  my  services  to  the  general  as  a volunteer  aid-du-camp — Re- 
sult of  the  well  planned  effort — Successful  retreat  from  the  island, 
very  highly  honorable  to  Gen.  Sullivan — Return  to  Boston,  fatigued 
and  ill — Visit  from  Gov.  Hancock,  in  the  highest  degree  gratify- 
ing— Resume  the  pencil — Friends  dissatisfied  with  my  pursuit — 
Finally  succeed  in  persuading  me  to  undertake  a voyage  to  Europe, 
and  the  conduct  of  a mercantile  speculation,  which  (on  paper) 
promised  a splendid  result — Acquaintance  in  Boston  with  Mr., 


Page. 


17 


39 


C ONTENTS. 


V 

Page. 

afterwards  Sir  John  Temple,  who  undertook  to  procure  for  me 
permission  from  the  British  government,  to  reside  in  London  for 
the  purpose  of  studying  painting  under  Mr.  West — Succeeded,  and 
before  I sailed  announced  to  me  his  success — List  of  drawings  and 
paintings  executed  in  America,  before  I had  received  any  instruc- 
tions,   49 

CHAPTER  V. 

Age,  24  to  25—1780  to  1781—1  year. 

Embark  at  New  London  for  Europe,  in  May,  1780,  on  board  a 
French  ship  bound  to  Nantes  in  France — Arrive  on  the  coast — 
Enter  the  Loire — Journey  up  that  beautiful  river  to  Paris — Meet 
bad  news,  fatal  to  my  commercial  speculation — Stay  in  Paris  short — 
Know  Dr.  Franklin  and  his  grandson  Temple,  Mr.  Adams,  Senr., 
and  his  son  John  Quincy,  Mr.  Strange,  the  celebrated  engraver, 
and  his  lady,  Mrs.  Strange — Resolved  to  proceed  to  London  and 
study  under  Mr.  West — Procure  a letter  to  him  from  Dr.  Frank- 
lin— Set  off  for  London  through  France  and  Flanders — Arrived — 
Delivered  my  letter  and  was  very  kindly  received — Copied  at  his 
house  the  Madonna  della  Sedia  of  Raphael — Was  commended 
and  encouraged  to  pursue  the  study — Commenced  a copy  of  the 
St.  Jerome  by  Correggio  at  Parma — Interrupted — News  arrives  of 
the  death  of  Major  Andre — Arrested  on  the  charge  of  high  trea- 
son as  a pendant  for  him — Conveyed  to  prison — Examined — Com- 
mitted to  the  prison  called  Tothill-fields  Bridewell — Very  civilly 
treated,  but  carefully  guarded,  . . . . . 63 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Age,  25  to  27—1781  to  1783—2  years. 

Kindness  of  Mr.  West — His  interview  with  the  king — Interces- 
sion on  my  behalf — Successful  so  far  as  security  from  the  worst 
extremity  of  the  law — Remained  in  prison  during  the  winter  and 
spring,  eight  months,  and  finish  the  copy  of  Correggio — Liberated 
at  length  by  an  order  in  council,  to  admit  me  to  bail,  obtained 
through  the  kind  influence  of  Mr.  Burke,  &c. — Leave  London  for 
Amsterdam — Anecdote  at  Antwerp — At  the  counting-house  of 
John  De  Neufville  & Son,  find  letters  from  my  father,  covering 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


authority  and  instructions  to  negotiate  a loan  in  Holland  for  the 
state  of  Connecticut — Time  utterly  unfavorable — Resolved  to  re- 
turn to  America — Embarked  on  board  the  South  Carolina — Went 
north  about — Put  into  Corunna  in  Spain — Quitted  the  ship  for  the 
Cicero,  a private  armed  ship  belonging  to  the  Cabots  of  Beverly — 
Sailed  for  Bilboa — Arrived — Detained  until  December,  then  sailed 
for  America — Arrived  at  Beverly  in  January — Hastened  to  my 
friends  in  Lebanon — Seized  with  a severe  and  dangerous  illness, 
the  consequence  of  so  many  vexatious  adventures  and  disappoint- 
ments— Recover — In  connexion  with  my  brother  take  part  in  a 
contract  for  supplying  the  army — Passed  the  winter  at  New  Wind- 
sor, and  frequently  saw  my  fast  friend,  Gen.  Washington — Here 
received  the  news  of  the  signing  of  the  preliminaries  of  peace — 
Desultory  occupations  at  an  end — Necessary  to  choose  an  occupa- 
tion for  life — Last  conversation  with  my  father  on  the  subject — He 
recommends  the  study  of  the  law,  as  leading  in  a republic  to  profit 
and  honor — I still  tenacious  of  the  arts,  and  supporting  my  opinion 
by  arguments  drawn  from  the  history  of  Athens  and  Greece — My 
father’s  patient  endurance  of  my  eloquence,  and  pithy  reply,  “ My 
son,  you  appear  to  forget,  that  Connecticut  is  not  Athens” — I tri- 
umph— Quit  all  other  pursuits  and  again  embark  for  London  and 
the  arts,  ..........  75 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Age,  28  to  30—1784  to  1786—2  years. 

Arrived  in  London  in  January,  1784 — My  father’s  letter  to  Mr. 
Edmund  Burke — Anecdote  of  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence — Portrait  of 
Col.  Wadsworth  and  son — Copy  for  Mr.  West  his  battle  of  La 
Hogue — Begin  the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  and  the  death  of  Gen. 
Montgomery — Invited  to  dine  with  artists — Sir  Joshua  Reynolds 
one  of  the  party — Anecdote — Mr.  West  paid  constant  attention  to 
the  progress  of  these  pictures — Form  a connection  with  Mr.  A di 
Poggi  as  publisher — Visit  Paris  for  the  purpose  of  finding  engra- 
vers— Meet  Mr.  Jefferson  there,  and  reside  at  his  house — In  company 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cosway  of  London,  I visited  all  that  was  curious 
in  the  arts,  in  Paris,  Versailles,  &c. — Return  to  England — Anec- 
dote of  Mr.  John  B.  Church,  and  his  most  constant  and  essential 
kindness  in  pecuniary  affairs, 


CONTENTS. 


Vll 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Age,  30—1786. 

Page. 

Journal  of  a visit  made  to  France,  Germany  and  Flanders,  in 
the  summer  and  autumn  of  1786 — Passed  through  Amiens,  Chan- 
tilly, Ac. — First  view  of  Paris — Introduction  to  artists,  Ac.  through 
the  means  of  my  two  pictures — Versailles,  St.  Cloud,  Ac. — Journal 
nearly  ruined  by  damp — Pass  the  time,  by  invitation,  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Jefferson,  the  American  minister — Towards  the  close  of  our 
rambles,  became  acquainted  with  the  Count  du  Moutier,  and  his 
sister,  la  Marquise  de  Brehan — By  him  introduced  to  the  Count  de 
Vergennes,  M.  de  Breteuil,  Ac. — Anecdote  of  Madame  De  Bo- 
nouil,  and  her  mission  afterwards  by  Buonaparte  to  the  court  of 
Russia — Dinner  (maigre)  in  Lent,  at  two  celebrated  abbes  in  Passy, 
most  luxurious — Draw  pencil  sketches  in  black  lead  of  various 
objects — Views  of  Paris,  Ac.,  fac-similes  engraved  for  this  work,  99 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Age,  30—1786. 

Journal  continued — Leave  Paris  for  Frankfort  sur  Maine,  Sep- 
tember 9th — Route  through  Chalons,  Champagne,  Deuxpont,  Ac. 
to  the  valley  of  the  Rhine  and  to  Frankfort — Leave  my  paint- 
ings with  M.  Poggi — Return  to  Mayence — Descend  the  Rhine  to 
Dusseldorf — Sketches  on  the  route  of  the  river — Fac-similes  en- 
graved— Stay  at  Dusseldorf — Live  in  the  gallery — Criticisms  of 
paintings,  Ac. — Continue  thence  to  Aix  la  Chapelle,  Liege,  Lou- 
vain, and  Brussels,  to  Antwerp — There  meet  again  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cosway — Examine  all  objects  of  the  arts  in  their  society — Remain 
three  weeks,  and  then  go  on  through  Ghent,  Ac.,  to  Calais — Em- 
bark there  for  England,  and  in  November  reach  London,  . . 120 

CHAPTER  X. 

Age,  30  to  33—1786  to  1789—3  years. 

In  November,  1786,  returned  to  London — Resumed  my  labors 
on  American  subjects,  especially  the  Declaration  of  Independence 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

— Studied  the  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis — Arranged  also  the 
compositions  of  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton — In  May, 
1787,  heard  from  M.  Poggi  the  story  of  the  sortie  from  Gibraltar, 
and  painted  it — Its  marked  popularity — In  the  autumn  of  1787, 
again  visited  Paris,  where  I painted  Mr.  Jefferson  in  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  and  the  French  officers  in  the  Surrender  of 
Lord  Cornwallis — Again  in  Paris,  in  the  early  autumn  of  1789,  and 
saw  the  first  outbreak  of  the  French  revolution — Destruction  of  the 
Bastile,  &c. — Important  conversation  with  M.  de  La  Fayette,  re- 
ported to  the  President  of  the  United  States — Returned  to  London, 
engaged  a ship  for  Mr.  Jefferson  and  his  family  at  Cowes,  to  trans- 
port them  to  America — I sailed  at  the  same  time  in  another  vessel 
for  New  York — Mr.  Jefferson  proffered  me  the  situation  of  secre- 
tary of  legation — Letters  which  passed  upon  the  occasion,  . 147 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Age,  33  to  38 — 1789  to  1794 — 5 years. 

Arrival  in  New  York — The  government  organized — General 
Washington  president — Communicate  to  him  the  state  of  political 
affairs  in  France — Proceed  to  visit  my  friends  in  Connecticut — Re- 
turn to  New  York  in  pursuit  of  portraits  for  my  great  work — Con- 
gress in  session — In  April,  1790,  offered  my  subscriptions  for  the 
pictures  of  Bunker’s  Hill  and  Quebec — In  May  went  to  Philadel- 
phia— Returned  to  New  York  in  July,  and  painted  for  the  city  a 
full  length  portrait  of  Washington — In  September  went  into  the 
country,  and  passed  some  time  with  my  friends — Visited  Boston 
and  New  Hampshire — Returned  through  Connecticut  to  Philadel- 
phia, to  which  place  Congress  had  adjourned — In  February  went 
to  Charleston,  S.  C. — Obtained  portraits — Return  in  June  to  Con- 
necticut— Painted  the  portrait  of  Gen.  George  Clinton — In  1792 
again  in  Philadelphia,  and  there  painted  the  portrait  of  Washing- 
ton, at  the  order  of  the  city  of  Charleston,  S.  C. — In  1793  again 
in  the  eastern  states — Subscription  languishes — Mission  of  Mr. 

Jay — Appointed  by  him  to  be  his  secretary — Embark  with  him 
June,  1794 — The  government  insulted  by  a mob  in  Philadelphia — 
District  of  Columbia  selected,  and  city  of  Washington  planned,  163 


CONTENTS. 


IX 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Age,  38  to  40—1794  to  1796—2  years.  * » 

Tage. 

Negotiation  of  Mr.  Jay — Analysis  of  the  difficulties  attending 
that  negotiation — Treaty  signed  19th  November,  1794,  and  copies 
sent  to  the  United  States  for  ratification — None  however  reach 
America  until  the  rising  of  Congress  on  the  4th  March — The  sen- 
ate called  to  meet  on  the Treaty  submitted  to  them,  and  at 

last  ratified — Digression  on  the  culture  of  silk — Admirable  con- 
duct and  character  of  Gen.  Thomas  Pinckney,  minister  in  London — 
Opposite  conduct  of  Mr.  Monroe  in  Paris — My  duty  as  secretary 
ceased  with  the  conclusion  of  the  treaty — Resolved  to  go  to  Stut- 
gard  to  examine  the  progress  of  my  engraving  of  Bunker’s  Hill — 
Route  through  Paris — Mr.  Jay  requests  me  to  commit  to  memory 
(verbatim)  the  entire  treaty,  for  the  purpose  of  repeating  it  to  Mr. 
Monroe — See  Mr.  Monroe  in  Paris,  present  Mr.  Jay’s  letter,  and 
offer  the  communication — He  declines,  as  contradicting  his  promise 
to  the  French  authorities — I of  course  withhold  my  communica- 
tion, and  thereby  incur  the  disapprobation  of  the  French  rulers — 
Receive  no  order  to  quit  France — Remain  and  purchase  paintings — 

Go  to  Stutgard — Return  to  Paris — Anecdote  of  an  old  officer  at 
Mulhausen — Arrive  in  London — In  the  autumn  a speculation  offers 
to  go  over  to  France  and  purchase  brandy — Final  and  complete 
disappointment — Return  to  London,  .....  174 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Age,  40  to  41—1796  to  1797—1  year. 

On  arrival  in  London,  find  a commission  and  instructions  to  act 
as  agent  for  the  relief  of  American  seamen,  and  immediately  af- 
terwards notice,  from  the  commissioners  appointed  by  the  two  na- 
tions to  carry  into  execution  the  seventh  article  of  the  late  treaty, 
that  they  had  appointed  me  the  fifth  commissioner — Letters  declin- 
ing the  first,  and  accepting  the  latter  very  important  situation — 
Enter  upon  its  duties — Preliminary  obstacle  suggested — Referred 
to  the  decision  of  the  lord  chancellor  at  my  suggestion — Decided 
by  him  in  favor  of  the  American  construction — By  this  I am  reliev- 
ed from  unpleasant  responsibility — Commission  proceeds — In  July, 

B 


X 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

1797,  the  great  question  of  general  blockade  came  up — Left  to  my 
decision, .188 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Opinion  given  in  the  case  of  the  Neptune,  Jeffries  master — 
Question  of  the  right  of  blockade,  and  to  prevent  the  introduction 
of  provisions, 196 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Age,  41—1797. 

Last  and  most  dangerous  visit  to  France — Furnished  with  letters 
to  Talleyrand — Revolution  of  18th  Fructidor — Find  a vessel  about 
to  sail  for  Rotterdam — Go  on  board  and  escape — At  the  Hague 
obtain  from  the  French  minister  a passport  to  go  to  Stutgard,  and 
thence  to  Paris — Arrive  at  Stutgard,  and  find  my  plate  admirably 
engraved — Take  both  plate  and  picture,  and  set  off  for  Paris — 
Visit  from  M.  D’Hauteval,  and  hint  that  it  was  expected  I should 
visit  M.  Talleyrand — Settle  my  commercial  affairs,  and  apply  for 
passport — Difficulties  and  delay — Apply  in  vain  to  American  min- 
isters— Apply  to  Talleyrand — Go  again  to  police — Alarming  re- 
ception— Almost  in  despair,  go  again  with  M.  David  to  the  police — 
Passport  obtained — Set  off  for  Calais — Adventure  at  St.  Dennis — 
Character  of  David — Ride  night  and  day  to  Calais — Embark  in 
the  roads — Safe  arrival  in  England — Farewell  to  dangerous  adven- 
tures— Attend  to  business,  . 219 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Age,  46  to  47—1798  to  1799—1  year. 

Reference  to  the  treaty — A commission  named  to  consider  the 
complaints  of  the  British  government — Mr.  McDonald  and  Mr. 

Rich  sail  from  England,  1797 — Commence  labors  in  Philadel- 
phia— Early  and  insuperable  difficulties — Result  in  dissolution  of 
the  commission,  and  reference  of  the  whole  question  to  negotia- 
tion— Letter  to  Mr.  King,  the  American  minister — Statement  of 
Mr.  Cabot  of  the  ultimate  result  of  the  labors  of  the  commission — 
Commission  closed  in  May,  1804 — Conduct  of  one  of  the  com- 


I 


CONTENTS.  Xi 

. . . . Page. 

missioners  in  not  defending  his  great  benefactor,  Judge  Chase, 

when  accused  of  high  treason — Mr.  Gore’s  conduct  approved  by 
his  state,  of  which  he  was  made  governor — My  political,  as  well 
as  military  glory  departed, 234 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Age,  48  to  52 — 1804  to  1808 — 4 years. 

Intention  to  reside  in  Boston,  but  disappointed  and  leave  that 
city— Establish  myself  in  New  York  as  a portrait  painter— Suc- 
cess— Embargo — Determine  to  revisit  England — Take  sides  with 
the  opposition  to  Mr.  Jefferson’s  administration — His  favorite  pro- 
ject of  maritime  defense  by  gun-boats  ridiculed  in  a criticism  pub- 
lished in  New  York — Copy  from  a newspaper  of  the  day — Suc- 
cessful— An  end  put  to  debates  in  Congress  on  the  subject,  . 243 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Age,  54  to  60—1808  to  1816—8  years. 

Embarked  for  London,  December  15th,  1808,  via  Falmouth — 
Arrived  January  7th — Went  up  to  London — Kindly  received  by 
Mr.  West,  and  resumed  my  profession — Execute  several  large  pic- 
tures, and  many  portraits,  but  my  receipts  not  equal  to  expenses — 
Reduced  to  the  necessity  of  borrowing — Resolve  to  give  up  the 
struggle— Write  to  secure  a passage  to  America — News  of  the 
declaration  of  war  by  the  United  States — All  intercourse  at  an 
end — During  the  whole  French  revolution,  mutual  recrimination 
between  America  and  England — End  thus  at  last — Detained  there- 
fore to  the  end  of  the  war,  and  obliged  to  go  into  debt  for  the 
means  of  subsistence — Letter  to  Lord  Grenville — His  answer,  254 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Age,  60  to  68 — 1816  to  1824 — 8 years.. 

Return  to  America — Narrow  escape  from  shipwreck — Begin  to 
paint  in  New  York — Learn  that  Baltimore  had  resolved  to  have 
pictures  of  her  late  successful  defense — Advfsed  by  my  friend 
Charles  Wilkes  to  offer  proposals — Go  to  Baltimore — Propose — 
Expense  too  great — Project  abandoned — Advised  to  go  on  to 


Xll 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Washington  and  offer  my  original  plan — Go  to  Washington — Show 
several  of  the  smaller  pictures  now  in  the  gallery  at  New  Haven — 
Result — Employed  to  paint  four  subjects — Copy  of  the  contract — 
Letters  to  the  architect,  Mr.  Bulfinch — In  consequence,  the  dome 
and  grand  central  room  saved — Paintings  executed  and  put  up — 
Copy  of  account  as  settled  at  the  treasury — Death  of  Mrs.  Trum- 
bull, and  eulogy  upon  her — Settlement  of  account  required,  and 
payment  of  debt  incurred  in  last  unfortunate  visit  to  Europe — Done 
to  my  utter  ruin, 260 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Age,  68  to  72 — 1824  to  1828 — 4 years. 

The  grand  central  dome  and  room  saved — Project  for  placing  a 
statue  of  Washington  on  the  ground  floor — Leads  to  the  notion  of 
a grand  crypt  or  sepulchral  room — Letters  to  secretary  of  state, 
and  architect — Went  to  Washington,  in  1824,  to  place  all  the 
paintings — Letter  to  the  speaker,  277 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Age,  72  to  85 — 1828  to  1840 — 12  years. 

Contract  finished — Sense  of  desolation — Strong  impression  of 
the  importance  of  the  work  on  the  Revolution — Resolve  to  execute 
another  set  of  a smaller  size  than  those  in  the  Capitol,  six  by  nine 
feet — While  on  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  slight  attack  of 
cholera — Recover  and  go  on — F unds  run  low — Many  pictures  un- 
sold, and  to  all  appearance  unsalable — Thought  occurs  of  selling 
for  an  annuity — Origin  of  the  Trumbull  Gallery — Contract — 
Source  of  my  present  subsistence,  and  of  pleasant  reflections  on 
their  utility  when  I am  gone — Intermediate  set  of  Revolution  not 
included — Five  of  those  finished — Intend  to  finish  the  other  three,  287 


✓ 


CONTENTS.  Xiii 

♦ 

APPENDIX. 

Page. 

Letter  from  Wm.  Kneeland  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Cambridge,  April 
8,  1772, 297 

Letter  from  Wm.  Kneeland  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Cambridge,  July- 
14,  1772,  . . . . * 298 

Letter  from  Gov.  Trumbull  to  Dr.  Wm.  Kneeland.  Lebanon, 
Aug.  10,  1772, 298 

Letter  from  Dr.  S.  J.  Meyrick  to  John  Trumbull.  Wilbraham, 
Mass.,  June  1,  1836,  .......  299 

Reminiscences  of  the  retreat  from  Canada,  1776. 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Ticonderoga,  N.  Y.,  July 
12,  1776, 302 

Account  of  the  condition  of  the  army  in  that  quarter. 

Letter  from  Gen.  Mattoon  to  J.  T.  Amherst,  Mass.,  Nov.  13, 
1837, 304 

Reminiscences  of  the  military  .service  of  J.  T. 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Boston,  Feb.  3,  1780,  . 308 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Boston,  Feb.  7,  1780,  . 309 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Nantes,  June  15,  1780,  . 309 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  London,  Sept.  12,  1780,  310 

Anecdotes  illustrating  the  character  of  George  III.,  and  of  Mr. 
Nollekens, 312 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Bilboa,  Oct.  23,  1781,  . 315 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Bilboa,  Oct.  23,  1781,  . 316 

Account  of  the  author’s  imprisonment  in  England. 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Lord  Geo.  Germaine.  Tothill-fields  Bride- 
well, Jan.  20,  1781, 317 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Mr.  Chamberlayne.  Tothill-fields  Bridewell, 

Feb.  20,  1781, 318 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Counsellor  Lee.  Tothill-fields  Bridewell, 

May  11,  1781, 320 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Edmund  Burke.  Tothill-fields  Bridewell, 

May  10,  1781, 321 

Statement  of  case  of  J.  T., 325 

Letter  from  Jas.  Bowdoin  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Boston,  Jan.  15, 

1781, 329 

Letters  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Amsterdam,  July  13, 
1781, 329,  333 

State  of  public  affairs  in  Europe,  and  imprisonment  of  the  author. 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Amsterdam,  July  20,  1781,  335 

On  the  negotiations  for  a loan. 

Letter  from  Sir  J.  Temple  to  Gov.  Trumbull.  Boston,  Nov.  20, 

1781, 338 

Proposals  for  publishing  Prints  of  Battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  and  the 
Attack  of  Quebec.  N.  Y.,  April  2,  1790,  ....  339 

Names  of  subscribers  to  Prints  of  Battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  and 


the  Attack  of  Quebec,  . . * . . . . .341 

Letter  from  Gen.  Washington  to  Marquis  de  La  Fayette.  Phil., 

Nov.  21,  1791, 345 

Recommending  the  subscription  for  the  prints  of  the  author’s  Historical 
Paintings. 

Extract  from  the  History  of  the  French  Revolution,  by  M.  A. 

Thiers, 347 

Anecdote  relating  to  Mr.  Giles,  of  Virginia,  ....  352 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Pres.  Jefferson,  .....  352 


Concerning  the  doings  of  the  commissioners  on  the  American  claims 
for  spoliations. 

Notice  of  the  invasion  of  Virginia  by  Gen.  Arnold,  in  1781,  . 355 

Letters  from  J.  T.  to  Messrs.  David  Daggett,  Fromentin,  Joseph 
Hopkinson,  Rufus  King,  Timothy  Pitkin,  Theodore  Dwight,  Jr., 
Govs.  Middleton  and  Barbour,  and  Gen.  Harrison,  in  regard  to 


C ONTENT  S . 


XV 

Page. 

subscription  for  the  engraving  of  the  painting  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  Feb.  1818,  .....  356 — 367 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Rufus  King,  Esq.  London,  March  8r  1798,  368 

On  military  dress. 

Letter  from  J.  T.  to  Gen.  Knox.  London,  June  15,  1798,  . 373 

On  improvements  in  the  construction  and  science  of  artillery. 

Letter  of  J.  T.  to  S.  M.  Hopkins,  Esq.  Lond.,  March  15,  1799,  375 

On  public  affairs,  &c. 

Letter  of  J.  T.  to  J.  Hall.  Lond.,  April  7,  1799,  . . . 377 

On  the  relations  of  the  United  States  with  Europe. 

Letter  of  J.  T.  to  Gen  Washington.  Lond.,  March  24,  1799,  379 

On  public  affairs  in  Europe  and  in  Mexico,  with  reference  to  the  Uni- 
ted States. 

Letter  of  Gen.  Washington  to  J.  T.,  . . . . . 383 

On  the  author’s  prints ; and  on  public  affairs. 

Letter  of  J.  T.  to  Gen.  Washington.  Lond.,  Oct.  6,  1799,  . 386 

Letter  of  J.  T.  to  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Esq.  Lond.  April  5,  1799,  387 

On  Mexican  affairs. 

Letter  of  Marquis  La  Fayette  to  J.  T.  Yianen,  Sept.  23,  1799,  398 

Letter  of  J.  T.  to  Marquis  La  Fayette.  Lond.,  Nov.  25,  1799,  400 

Letter  of  J.  T.  to  Marquis  La  Fayette.  New  York,  Oct.  20,  1823,  402 
Catalogue  of  Paintings  in  the  Trumbull  Gallery,  Yale  College,  405 


/ 


XVI 


C ONT  ENT  S . 


LIST  OF  ENGRAVINGS. 

Page. 

Plate  1.  Portrait,  to  front  the  title. 

“ 2.  Map  of  Boston  and  the  surrounding  country,  . . 23 

“ 3.  Map  of  Ticonderoga  and  its  dependencies,  . . 33 

u 4.  Invalid  soldier,  old,  blind  and  poor,  «...  99 

44  5.  Peasant  girl  leading  a donkey  to  feed,  ...  99 

44  6.  The  square  of  Louis  XV  at  Paris,  . . . .101 

“ 7.  Paris,  as  seen  from  the  house  of  the  Abbes  Chasse  and 

Arnout  at  Passy,  . . . . . .116 

44  8.  Turckheim,  near  leaving  the  mountains  and  approaching 

the  valley  of  the  Rhine, 123 

44  9.  Frankenstein,  the  valley  of  the  Rhine  and  Black  forest  in 

the  distance, 124 

44  10.  Old  electoral  palace  at  Mayence,  ....  129 

44  11.  Madame  Payen,  .......  130 

44  12.  Mademoiselle  Gresnier  at  Breda,  ....  130 

44  13.  Elvent,  two  leagues  below  Mayence,  . . .131 

44  14.  Entrance  of  the  Highlands  of  the  Rhine,  . . 131 

44  15.  Near  Bingen,  entering  the  Highlands  of  the  Rhine,  . 131 

44  16.  Bingen,  ........  131 

44  17.  Bacherach,  ........  132 

44  18.  Indian  portrait,  John,  a Creek,  ....  165 

44  19.  Indian  portrait,  Hysac,  or  the  Woman’s  man,  . . 165 

44  20.  Indian  portrait,  Stimafutchki,  or  Good-Humor,  . . 165 

44  21.  Indian  portrait,  Hopothle-mico,  or  the  Talassee  king  of 

the  Creeks,  .......  165 

44  22.  Tuskatche-mico,  or  the  bird-tail  king  of  the  Cusitahs,  165 

44  23.  Trumbull  Gallery,  .......  409 


ERRATA. 


P.  116,  1.  5,  for  Vanderwer , read  Vcmderwerf.  P.  119,  1.  7,  for  Ventourent , read  I'entou- 
roient.  P.  194, 1.  6,  for  agreement , read  argument.  P.  314, 1.  20,  for  atlelier , read  atelier. 


SKETCH 


■ 


OF  THE 

LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL, 

WRITTEN  BY  HIMSELF,  1835. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Age,  1 to  19 — 1756  to  1775—19  years. 

Parentage — Infancy  and  sickness — Recovery  and  early  studies — Read 
Greek  at  six  years  old — Rapid  progress — Prepared  to  enter  Harvard 
at  twelve — Anecdote  of  Zachary  the  Indian  chief — Enter  college  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  and  a half,  in  the  Junior  year — Superior  preparation  and 
danger  of  idleness  and  dissipation — Saved  by  poverty  and  the  study  of 
the  French  language — Keep  the  school  of  my  most  excellent  master 
during  a dangerous  illness — Approach  of  the  Revolution — Study  mili- 
tary affairs. 

The  families  of  Trumbull  in  New  England  have  cause 
to  believe  themselves  to  be  a branch  of  the  Turnbulls  of 

\ 

Scotland ; of  whose  origin  the  Herald’s  office  gives  this  his- 
tory. In  the year, king  of  Scotland,  on  a hunt- 

ing party,  was  attacked  by  a bull,  and  his  life  was  in  immi- 
nent danger  from  the  animal,  when  a young  peasant  threw 
himself  before  the  king,  and  with  equal  strength,  dexterity 
and  good  fortune,  seized  the  bull  by  the  horn,  turned  him 
aside,  and  thus  saved  the  royal  life.  The  king,  grateful  for 
the  act,  commanded  the  hitherto  obscure  youth  to  assume 
the  name  of  Turnbull,  gave  him  an  estate  near  Peebles, 

i 

jHi- 


2 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


(which  is  still  in  the  family,)  and  a coat  of  arms, — three 
bulls’  heads,  with  the  motto,  Fortuna  favct  audaci , — still 
the  bearings  of  the  American  branch. 

The  first  person  of  the  name  known  to  be  on  record  in 
the  United  States,  is  John  Trumbull  of  Rowley,  in  the 
county  of  Essex,  Massachusetts,  who  was  made  a freeman 
in  Boston,  in  1640.  He  is  understood  to  have  emigrated 
from  Cumberland  or  Lancashire  in  England,  on  the  borders 
of  Scotland.  A son  of  this  person,  named  also  John,  re- 
moved to  Suffield  in  Connecticut ; and  one  of  his  sons, 
Joseph,  removed  from  Suffield  to  Lebanon.  This  person 
was  my  grandfather,  and  was  bom  at  Suffield,  1679. 

My  father,  Jonathan  Trumbull,  was  born  at  Lebanon  in 
1710.  Joseph,  his  father,  was  a respectable,  strong  minded 
but  uneducated  farmer,  who  feeling  the  disadvantages  of 
his  own  want  of  education,  made  it  his  first  object  to  give 
to  his  children,  this  first  blessing  of  social  life ; and  at  a 
very  early  age  my  father  was  placed  at  Harvard  College, 
where  he  became  a distinguished  scholar,  acquiring  a sound 
knowledge  of  the  Hebrew,  as  well  as  of  the  Greek  and 
Latin  languages,  and  of  all  the  other  studies  of  that  day. 
He  was  graduated  with  honor  in  1727.  He  died  in  1785, 
having  been  governor  of  the  state  of  Connecticut,  by  an- 
nual election,  during  the  entire  war  of  the  Revolution  ; and 
was  the  only  person  who,  being  first  magistrate  of  a col- 
ony in  America,  before  the  separation  from  Great  Britain, 
retained  the  confidence  of  his  countrymen  through  the 
Revolution,  and  was  annually  reelected  governor  to  the 
end  of  that  eventful  period. 

My  mother,  Faith  Robinson,  daughter  of  John  Rob- 
inson, minister  of  Duxbury  in  Massachusetts,  was  under- 
stood to  be  great  granddaughter  of  John  Robinson,  the 
father  of  the  pilgrims,  who  led  our  Puritan  ancestors  (his 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


3 


parishioners)  out  of  England  in  the  reign  of  James  Y,  and 
resided  with  them  some  years  at  Leyden  in  Holland,  until 
in  1620  they  emigrated  to  Plymouth  in  Massachusetts,  and 
there,  among  other  acts  of  wisdom  and  piety,  laid  the  foun- 
dations of  that  system  of  education  in  town  schools,  which 
has  since  been  extended  so  widely  over  the  northern  and 
western  parts  of  the  United  States,  forming  the  glory  and 
the  defense,  the  decus  atque  tutamen  of  our  country. 

I was  born  at  Lebanon  on  the  6th  of  June,  1756 — the 
youngest  child  of  these  parents ; and  soon  after  my  birth 
was  attacked  by  convulsion  fits,  which  recurred  daily,  and 
several  times  each  day,  increasing  in  violence  and  frequency 
until  I was  nearly  nine  months  old, — the  cause  was  hidden 
from  the  medical  men  of  the  vicinity, — when  one  of  my 
father’s  early  friends,  Dr.  Terry  of  Suffield,  who  had  be- 
come an  eminent  physician,  called  accidentally  to  make  him 
a passing  visit,  and  was  requested  to  look  at  the  unhappy 
child.  He  immediately  pronounced  the  disease  to  be 
caused  by  compression  of  the  brain,  shewing  my  parents 
how  the  bones  of  the  skull,  instead  of  unidng  in  the  several 
sutures,  and  forming  a smooth  surface,  had  slipped  over 
each  other,  forming  sensible  ridges  on  the  head,  by  which  < 
means  the  brain  not  having  room  to  expand,  convulsions 
followed.  “ Can  the  child  be  relieved  V9  was  the  anxious 
question.  “ Nothing  but  the  untiring  care  of  the  mother 
can  effect  a cure,  and  this  can  be  done  only  by  applying 
her  hands  to  the  head  of  the  child  daily,  and  many  times  a 
day,  and  gently  and  carefully  drawing  them  apart.  If  the 
bones  do  not  already  adhere  too  strongly,  it  is  possible  that 
by  this  means  they  may  be  separated,  and  reduced  to  their 
proper  junction  in  the  sutures.  If  this  had  been  attended 
to  at  the  birth,  it  wrould  have  been  easy ; now,  it  is  barely 
possible.  Medicine  is  useless,  and  if  relief  cannot  be  ob- 


4 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


tained  by  this  method,  I know  no  other ; and  the  poor  child 
must  either  die  early,  or  if  he  should  live,  become  an  idiot.” 

My  mother  followed  this  prescription  with  unremitted 
care ; by  degrees  favorable  symptoms  began  to  appear— the 
paroxysms  of  convulsion  recurred  less  and  less  frequently, 
until  at  about  three  years  old,  the  natural  form  of  the  head 
was  restored,  and  they  ceased  entirely.  Thus,  by  the 
kindness  of  Divine  providence  in  making  known  the  cause 
of  the  disease,  and  by  the  affectionate  care  of  my  mother,  a 
life  was  snatched  from  early  extinction,  which  has  been 
prolonged  to  the  unusual  age  of  eighty  five  years; — through 
what  strange  vicissitudes,  and  for  what  purposes,  the  fol- 
lowing pages  will  record. 

My  native  place,  Lebanon,  was  long  celebrated  for  hav- 
ing the  best  school  in  New  England,  (unless  that  of  Master 
Moody  in  Newburyport,  might,  in  the  opinion  of  some,  have 
the  precedence.)  It  was  kept  by  Nathan  Tisdale,  a native 
of  the  place,  from  the  time  when  he  graduated  at  Harvard 
to  the  day  of  his  death,  a period  of  more  than  thirty  years, 
with  an  assiduity  and  fidelity  of  the  most  exalted  character, 
and  became  so  widely  known  that  he  had  scholars  from  the 
West  India  Islands,  Georgia,  North  and  South  Carolina,  as 
well  as  from  the  New  England  and  northern  colonies. 
With  this  exemplary  man  and  excellent  scholar,  I soon  be- 
came a favorite.  My  father  was  his  particular  friend  ; and 
my  early  sufferings,  as  well  as  my  subsequent  docility, 
endeared  me  to  him.  The  school  was  distant  from  my 
father’s  house  not  more  than  three  minutes’  walk,  across  a 
beautiful  green,  so  that  I was  constant  in  my  attendance ; 
besides  which,  it  was  an  excellent  rule  of  the  school  to 
have  no  vacations,  in  the  long  idleness  and  dissipation  of 
which  the  labors  of  preceding  months  might  be  half  for- 
gotten. Whether  my  mind,  which  had  so  long  been  re- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


5 


pressed  by  disease,  sprang  forward  with  increased  energy 
so  soon  as  the  pressure  upon  the  brain  was  removed,  I 
know  not ; but  I soon  displayed  a singular  facility  in  ac- 
quiring knowledge,  particularly  of  languages,  so  that  I could 
read  Greek  at  six  years  old,  at  which  age  I remember  to 
have  had  a contest  with  the  late  Rev.  Joseph  Lyman,  pas- 
tor of  Hatfield  in  Massachusetts,  a boy  several  years  my 
senior.  We  read  the  five  first  verses  of  the  Gospel  of  St. 
John ; I missed  not  a word — he  missed  one,  and  I gained 
the  victory.  I do  not  mean  to  say  that,  at  this  time,  I pos- 
sessed much  more  knowledge  of  the  Greek  language,  than 
might  be  taught  to  a parrot ; but  I knew  the  forms  of  the 
letters,  the  words,  and  their  sounds,  and  could  read  them 
accurately,  although  my  knowledge  of  their  meaning  was 
very  imperfect. 

My  taste  for  drawing  began  to  dawn  early.  It  is  com- 
mon to  talk  of  natural  genius ; but  I am  disposed  to  doubt 
the  existence  of  such  a principle  in  the  human  mind ; at 
least,  in  my  own  case,  I can  clearly  trace  it  to  mere  imita- 
tion. My  two  sisters,  Faith  and  Mary,  had  completed  their 
education  at  an  excellent  school  in  Boston,  where  they  both 
had  been  taught  embroidery ; and  the  eldest,  Faith,  had 
acquired  some  knowledge  of  drawing,  and  had  even  painted 
in  oil,  two  heads  and  a landscape.  These  wonders  were 
hung  in  my  mother’s  parlor,  and  were  among  the  first  ob- 
jects that  caught  my  infant  eye.  I endeavored  to  imitate 
them,  and  for  several  years  the  nicely  sanded  floors,  (for 
carpets  were  then  unknown  in  Lebanon,)  were  constantly 
scrawled  with  my  rude  attempts  at  drawing. 

About  the  same  time  music  first  caught  my  attention.  I 
heard  a Jews-harp,  delicious  sound  ! wdiich  no  time  can 
drive  from  my  enchanted  memory!  I have  since  been 
present  at  a commemoration  of  Handel,  in  Westminster 


6 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Abbey,  and  have  often  listened  with  rapture  to  the  celes- 
tial warblings  of  Catalani — I have  heard  the  finest  music  of 
the  age  in  London  and  in  Paris — but  nothing  can  obliterate 
the  magic  charm  of  that  Jews-harp,  and  even  at  this  late 
moment,  its  sweet  vibrations  seem  to  tingle  on  my  ear. 

At  the  age  of  four  or  five  an  accident  befel  me  of  a se- 
rious nature.  After  my  recovery  from  my  early  sickness,  I 
became  the  favorite  plaything  of  my  two  sisters,  who  were 
more  than  ten  years  my  seniors.  A door  opened  from  their 
bed-room  upon  a flight  of  stairs,  leading  direct  to  the 
ground  floor,  without  a landing.  I was  frolicking  with 
them  in  this  room  with  all  the  gaiety  of  young  and  newly 
acquired  health  ; the  door  was  unfortunately  open,  and  in 
my  race  I plunged  headlong  down  the  stairs.  I was  taken 
up  insensible — my  forehead,  over  the  left  eye,  severely 
bruised  ; but  I soon  recovered,  and  although  for  some  time 
I squinted  with  the  left  eye,  no  other  evil  was  suspected, 
until  several  years  after,  when  happening  to  shut  the  right 
eye,  I found  I could  not  see.  The  optic  nerve  must  have 
been  severely  injured,  for  although  the  eye  recovered  en- 
tirely its  external  appearance,  yet  vision  was  so  nearly  de- 
stroyed that,  to  this  day,  1 have  never  been  able  to  read  a 
single  word  with  the  left  eye  alone. 

At  the  age  of  nine  or  ten  a circumstance  occurred  which 
deserves  to  be  written  on  adamant.  In  the  wars  of  New 
England  with  the  aborigines,  the  Mohegan  tribe  of  Indians 
early  became  friends  of  the  English.  Their  favorite  ground 
was  on  the  banks  of  the  river  (now  the  Thames)  between 
New  London  and  Norwich.  A small  remnant  of  the  Mo- 
hegan s still  exists,  and  they  are  sacredly  protected  in  the 
possession  and  enjoyment  of  their  favorite  domain  on  the 
banks  of  the  Thames.  The  government  of  this  tribe  had 
become  hereditary  in  the  family  of  the  celebrated  chief 


i 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


7 


Uncas.  During  the  time  of  my  father’s  mercantile  prosper- 
ity, he  had  employed  several  Indians  of  this  tribe  in  hunting 
animals,  whose  skins  were  valuable  for  their  fur.  Among 
these  hunters  was  one  named  Zachary,  of  the  royal  race, 
an  excellent  hunter,  but  as  drunken  and  worthless  an  Indian 
as  ever  lived.  When  he  had  somewhat  passed  the  age  of 
fifty,  several  members  of  the  royal  family  who  stood  be- 
tween Zachary  and  the  throne  of  his  tribe  died,  and  he 
found  himself  with  only  one  life  between  him  and  empire. 
In  this  moment  his  better  genius  resumed  its  sway,  and  he 
reflected  seriously,  “ How  can  such  a drunken  wretch  as  I 
am,  aspire  to  be  the  chief  of  this  honorable  race; — what  will 
my  people  say — and  how  will  the  shades  of  my  noble 
ancestors  look  down  indignant  upon  such  a base  successor  ? 
Can  I succeed  to  the  great  Uncas  1 I will  drink  no  more  /” 
He  solemnly  resolved  never  again  to  taste  any  drink  but 
water,  and  he  kept  his  resolution. 

I had  heard  this  story,  and  did  not  entirely  believe  it ; 
for  young  as  I was,  I already  partook  in  the  prevailing  con- 
tempt for  Indians.  In  the  beginning  of  May,  the  annual  elec- 
tion of  the  principal  officers  of  the  (then)  colony  was  held  at 
Hartford,  the  capital : my  father  attended  officially,  and  it 
was  customary  for  the  chief  of  the  Mohegans  also  to  attend. 
Zachary  had  succeeded  to  the  rule  of  his  tribe.  My 
father’s  house  was  situated  about  midway  on  the  road  be- 
tween Mohegan  and  Hartford,  and  the  old  chief  was  in  the 
habit  of  coming  a few  days  before  the  election,  and  dining 
with  his  brother  governor.  One  day  the  mischievous 
thought  struck  me,  to  try  the  sincerity  of  the  old  man’s 
temperance.  The  family  were  seated  at  dinner,  and  there 
was  excellent  home-brewed  beer  on  the  table.  I ad- 
dressed the  old  chief — “ Zachary,  this  beer  is  excellent ; 
will  you  taste  it  ?” . The  old  man  dropped  his  knife  and  fork 


8 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


— leaned  forward  with  a stern  intensity  of  expression ; his 
black  eye  sparkling  with  indignation,  was  fixed  on  me. 
“ John,”  said  he,  “ you  do  not  know  what  you  are  doing. 
You  are  serving  the  devil,  boy  ! Do  you  not  know  that  I 
am  an  Indian  1 I tell  you  that  I am,  and  that,  if  I should  but 
taste  your  beer,  I could  never  stop  until  I got  to  rum,  and 
became  again  the  drunken,  contemptible  wretch  your  father 
remembers  me  to  have  been.  John , while  you  live , never 
again  tempt  any  man  to  break  a good  resolution”  Socrates 
never  uttered  a more  valuable  precept — Demosthenes 
could  not  have  given  it  in  more  solemn  tones  of  eloquence. 
I was  thunderstruck.  My  parents  were  deeply  affected  ; 
they  looked  at  each  other,  at  me,  and  at  the  venerable  old 
Indian,  with  deep  feelings  of  awe  and  respect.  They  af- 
terwards frequently  reminded  me  of  the  scene,  and  charged 
me  never  to  forget  it.  Zachary  lived  to  pass  the  age  of 
eighty,  and  sacredly  kept  his  resolution.  He  lies  buried  in 
the  royal  burial-place  of  his  tribe,  near  the  beautiful  falls  of 
the  Yantic,  the  western  branch  of  the  Thames,  in  Nor- 
wich, on  land  now  owned  by  my  friend,  Calvin  Goddard, 
Esq.  I visited  the  grave  of  the  old  chief  lately,  and  there 
repeated  to  myself  his  inestimable  lesson. 

About  this  time,  when  I was  nine  or  ten  years  old,  my 
father’s  mercantile  failure  took  place.  He  had  been  for 
years  a successful  merchant,  and  looked  forward  to  an  old 
age  of  ease  and  affluence ; but  in  one  season,  almost  every 
vessel,  and  all  the  property  which  he  had  upon  the  ocean, 
was  swept  away,  and  he  was  a poor  man  at  so  late  a pe- 
riod of  life,  as  left  no  hope  of  retrieving  his  affairs.  My 
eldest  brother  was  involved  in  the  wreck  as  a partner, 
which  rendered  the  condition  of  the  family  utterly  hope- 
less. My  mother  and  sisters  were  deeply  afflicted,  and 
although  I was  too  young  clearly  to  comprehend  the  cause, 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


9 


yet  sympathy  led  me  too  to  droop.  My  bodily  health  was 
frail,  for  the  sufferings  of  early  youth  had  left  their  im- 
press on  my  constitution,  and  although  my  mind  was  clear, 
and  the  body  active,  it  was  never  strong.  I therefore  sel- 
dom joined  my  little  schoolfellows  in  plays  or  exercises  of 
an  athletic  kind,  for  there  I was  almost  sure  to  be  vanquish- 
ed ; and  by  degrees  acquired  new  fondness  for  drawing, 
in  which  I stood  unrivalled.  Thus  I gradually  contracted 
a solitary  habit,  and  after  school  hours  frequently  withdrew 
to  my  own  room  to  a close  study  of  my  favorite  pursuit. 
Such  was  my  character  at  the  time  of  my  father’s  failure, 
and  this  added  gloomy  feelings  to  my  love  of  solitude.  I 
became  silent,  diffident,  bashful,  awkward  in  society,  and 
took  refuge  in  still  closer  application  to  my  books  and  my 
drawing.  The  want  of  pocket  money  prevented  me  from 
joining  my  young  companions  in  any  of  those  little  expen- 
sive frolicks  which  often  lead  to  future  dissipation,  and  thus 
became  a blessing ; and  my  good  master  Tisdale  had  the 
wisdom  so  to  vary  my  studies,  as  to  render  them  rather  a 
pleasure  than  a task.  Thus  I went  forward,  without  in- 
terruption, and  at  the  age  of  twelve  might  have  been  ad- 
mitted to  enter  college;  for  I had  then  read  Eutropius, 
Cornelius  Nepos,  Virgil,  Cicero,  Horace  and  Juvenal,  in 
Latin ; the  Greek  Testament  and  Homer’s  Iliad  in  Greek, 
and  was  thoroughly  versed  in  geography,  ancient  and 
modern,  in  studying  which  I had  the  advantage  (then 
rare)  of  a twenty  inch  globe.  I had  also  read  with  care 
Rollin’s  History  of  Ancient  Nations,  also  his  history  of 
the  Roman  republic,  Mr.  Crevier’s  continuation  of  the 
History  of  the  Emperors,  and  Rollin’s  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences of  the  Ancient  Nations.  In  arithmetic  alone  I met 
an  awful  stumbling-block.  I became  puzzled  by  a sum 
in  division,  where  the  divisor  consisted  of  three  figures 

2 


10 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


— I could  not  comprehend  the  rule  for  ascertaining  how 
many  times  it  was  contained  in  the  dividend ; my  mind 
seemed  to  come  to  a dead  stand — my  master  would  not 
assist  me,  and  forbade  the  boys  to  do  it,  so  that  I well 
recollect  the  question  stood  on  my  slate  unsolved  nearly 
three  months,  to  my  extreme  mortification.  At  length 
the  solution  seemed  to  flash  upon  my  mind  at  once,  and 
I went  forward  without  further  let  or  hindrance,  through 
the  ordinary  course  of  fractions,  vulgar  and  decimal, 
surveying,  trigonometry,  geometry,  navigation,  &c.  &c., 
so  that  when  I had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen  and  a half 
years,  it  was  stated  by  my  good  master  that  he  could  teach 
me  little  more,  and  that  I was  fully  qualified  to  enter  Har- 
vard College  in  the  middle  of  the  third  or  Junior  year. 
This  was  approved  by  my  father  and  proposed  to  me.  In 
the  mean  time  my  fondness  for  painting  had  grown  with 
my  growth,  and  in  reading  of  the  arts  of  antiquity  I had  be- 
come familiar  with  the  names  of  Phidias  and  Praxiteles,  of 
Zeuxis  and  Apelles.  These  names  had  come  down  through 
a series  of  more  than  two  thousand  years,  with  a celebrity 
and  applause  which  accompanied  few  of  those  who  had 
been  devoted  to  the  more  noisy  and  turbulent  scenes  of 
politics  or  war.  The  tranquillity  of  the  arts  seemed  better 
suited  to  me  than  the  more  bustling  scenes  of  life,  and  I 
ventured  to  remonstrate  with  my  father,  stating  to  him  that 
the  expense  of  a college  education  would  be  inconvenient 
to  him,  and  after  it  was  finished  I should  still  have  to  study 
some  profession  by  which  to  procure  a living ; whereas,  if 
he  would  place  me  under  the  instruction  of  Mr.  Copley, 
(then  living  in  Boston,  and  whose  reputation  as  an  artist 
was  deservedly  high,)  the  expense  would  probably  not  ex- 
ceed that  of  a college  education,  and  that  at  the  end  of  my 
time  I should  possess  a profession,  and  the  means  of  sup- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


11 


porting  myself — perhaps  of  assisting  the  family,  at  least  my 
sisters.  This  argument  seemed  to  me  not  bad  ; but  my  fa- 
ther had  not  the  same  veneration  for  the  fine  arts  that  I had, 
and  hoped  to  see  me  a distinguished  member  of  one  of  the 
learned  professions,  divinity  in  preference.  I was  over- 
ruled, and  in  January,  1772,  was  sent  to  Cambridge,  under 
the  care  of  my  brother,  who  in  passing  through  Boston  in 
dulged  me  by  taking  me  to  see  the  works  of  Mr.  Copley. 
His  house  was  on  the  Common,  where  Mr.  Sears’s  elegant 
granite  palazzo  now  stands.  A mutual  friend  of  Mr.  Cop- 
ley and  my  brother,  Mr.  James  Lovell,  went  with  us  to  in- 
troduce us.  We  found  Mr.  Copley  dressed  to  receive  a^ 
party  of  friends  at  dinner.  I remember  his  dress  and  ap- 
pearance— an  elegant  looking  man,  dressed  in  a fine  ma- 
roon cloth,  with  gilt  buttons — this  was  dazzling  to  my  un- 
practiced eye ! — but  his  paintings,  the  first  I had  ever  seen 
deserving  the  name,  riveted,  absorbed  my  attention,  and 
renewed  all  my  desire  to  enter  upon  such  a pursuit.  But 
my  destiny  was  fixed,  and  the  next  day  I went  to  Cam- 
bridge, passed  my  examination  in  form,  and  was  readily 
admitted  to  the  Junior  class,  who  were  then  in  the  middle 
of  the  third  year,  so  that  I had  only  to  remain  one  year 
and  a half  in  college.  My  first  anxiety  was  to  know  the 
actual  studies  and  recitations  of  my  class,  and  I soon  found 
that  I had  no  superior  in  Latin — that  in  Greek  there 
were  only  two  whom  I had  to  fear  as  competitors,  Mr. 
Pearson,  who  afterwards  became  the  professor  of  oriental 
languages,  and  Mr.  Theodore  Parsons,  brother  of  the  late 
eminent  judge,  who  died  a few  years  after  we  graduated. 
This  advanced  state  of  my  acquirements  rendered  un- 
necessary any  exertion  of  study  to  maintain  my  footing 
with  my  class,  and  I was  in  no  small  danger  of  dropping 
into  a course  of  idleness  and  vanity,  and  thence  perhaps 


12 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


into  low  company  and  base  pursuits,  when  I fortunately 
lea  med  that  a French  family,  who  had  been  removed  with 
the  other  inhabitants  of  Acadie,  by  the  political  prudence 
of  England,  poor  but  respectable,  were  living  in  Cam- 
bridge, and  had  in  some  instances  taught  the  French  lan- 
guage. I went  immediately  to  Pere  Robichaud,  as  the 
worthy  man  was  called,  and  was  admitted  as  a scholar. 
This  family,  besides  the  parents,  comprised  several  chil- 
dren of  both  sexes,  some  about  my  own  age ; in  such  so- 
ciety I made  good  progress,  and  there  laid  the  foundation 
of  a knowledge  of  the  French  language,  which  in  after  life 
was  of  eminent  utility. 

In  the  mean  time  I searched  the  library  of  the  college 
for  works  relating  to  the  arts,  and  among  a few  others  of 
less  importance,  I found  the  “ Jesuit’s  Prospective  made 
easy,  by  Brooke  Taylor.”  This  I studied  carefully,  and 
still  possess  a book  into  which  I copied  most  of  the  dia- 
grams of  the  work.  I found  also,  and  read  with  attention, 
“ Hogarth’s  Analysis  of  Beauty.”  The  library  contained 
further  a few  fine  engravings,  and  a set  of  Piranezi’s  prints 
of  Roman  ruins  ; in  the  philosophical  chamber  wrere  sev- 
eral of  Mr.  Copley’s  finest  portraits,  and  a view  of  an 
eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius,  painted  in  Italy,  which,  with 
the  Piranezi,  had  been  lately  presented  to  the  college  by 
Thomas  Palmer,  Esq.  one  of  the  alumni,  who  had  travelled 
in  Italy,  and  whom  I had  the  pleasure  to' know  afterwards 
in  Berkeley  square,  London. 

The  principal  college  studies  to  which  I paid  much  at- 
tention were  moral  and  natural  philosophy.  Dr.  Winthrop 
was  professor  of  the  latter,  and  to  his  lectures  I listened 
with  great  attention  and  pleasure.  Electricity  was  of  very 
recent  discovery,  and  was  a source  of  great  admiration 
and  delight.  Chemistry  as  yet  was  in  a manner  unknown 
as  a science,  and  formed  no  part  of  our  studies. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


13 


At  the  same  time  I copied  the  painting  of  Vesuvius 
twice  ; first  with  water  colors  on  vellum,  small ; and  after- 
wards in  oil,  the  size  of  the  original.  One  of  these  I pre- 
sented to  Professor  Winthrop. 

Among  the  engravings  in  the  library,  was  one  from  a 
painting  by  Noel  Coypel, — Rebecca  at  the  well,  surround- 
ed by  a number  of  attendants.  This  I admired  and  copied 
in  oil,  the  same  size  as  the  engraving ; the  forms,  expres- 
sions, characters,  and  light  and  shadow  were  before  me ; 
the  colors  I managed  as  well  as  I could  from  my  own  im- 
agination. This  received  so  much  approbation  from  the 
officers  and  students  in  college,  that  I ventured  to  show  it 
to  Mr.  Copley,  and  had  the  pleasure  to  hear  it  commended 
by  him  also.  The  picture  is  still  preserved  in  the  family. 
In  July,  1773,  I graduated  without  applause,  for  I teas  not 
a speaker , and  returned  to  Lebanon.  Several  circum- 
stances prevented  my  forming  intimate  connections  while 
in  college  ; I was  the  youngest  boy  in  my  class ; I had  en- 
tered in  an  unusual  way,  (a  sailor  would  say  that  I got  in 
at  the  cabin  windows  ;)  and  I had  too  little  pocket  money  to 
partake  in  any  expensive  gaieties,  if  my  timidity  and  awk- 
wardness had  not  also  prevented  me  from  doing  so.  I 
formed  therefore  one,  and  only  one,  intimate  acquaintance. 
It  was  with  Christopher  Gore  of  Boston,  an  amiable  boy, 
my  junior  in  years,  and  in  college  rank.  This  was  the  com- 
mencement of  a friendship  which  lasted  through  life.  Gore 
became  first  a distinguished  lawyer,  then  governor  of 
Massachusetts,  and,  in  after  life,  it  pleased  Providence  to 
bring  us  frequently  into  near  and  intimate  associations  in 
important  affairs. — He  is  dead ! 

Not  long  after  my  return  to  Lebanon  a letter  came  by 
the  post,  and  was  first  put  into  the  hands  of  my  father.  He 
brought  it  to  me,  and  said,  “ John,  here  is  a letter  which  I 


14 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


cannot  read ; I suppose  it  must  be  for  you ; what  language 
is  it  ?”  “ Oh  yes,  sir,  it  is  from  my  friend  Robichaud — it 

is  French,  sir.”  “What,  do  you  understand  French? 
How  did  you  learn  it?  I did  not  know  that  it  was  taught 
in  college.”  “It  is  not,  sir,  but  I learned  it  in  this  gentle- 
man’s family.”  “ And  how  did  you  pay  the  expense  ? 
You  never  asked  me  for  extra  allowance.”  “No,  sir;  I 
pinched  my  other  expenses,  and  paid  this  out  of  my  pocket 
money.”  My  father  was  very  much  pleased,  and  soon 
after  proposed  to  me  to  study  Spanish.  A ship  from  South 
America,  not  long  before,  had  been  driven  into  New  Lon- 
don by  stress  of  weather,  and  had  there  been  condemned 
as  unseaworthy.  The  captain,  of  the  name  of  Sistarri, 
a man  of  some  education,  was  residing  in  Hebron,  a 
distance  of  five  miles  from  Lebanon,  and  it  was  from  him 
my  father  proposed  that  I should  learn.  I very  foolishly 
declined  it ; I could  never  find  in  my  own  mind  any  other 
cause  for  this  absurdity,  but  that  perverseness  which  seems 
inherent  in  our  nature,  and  which  leads  us  to  undervalue 
the  suggestions  of  others.  I have  frequently  since  repented 
of  this  folly,  for  the  Spanish  language  has  now  become 
very  important,  and  it  has  since  cost  me  much  laborious 
study  to  acquire  a very  imperfect  knowledge  of  it. 

At  Lebanon  I resumed  the  pencil,  and  painted  the  death 
of  Paulus  Emilius  at  the  battle  of  Cannae,  a passage  of  Ro- 
man history  which  I had  always  admired. 

“ Animaeque  magnae, 

Prodigum  Paulum,  superante  Pceno.” — Horace. 

This  was  effected  by  selecting  from  various  engravings 
such  figures  as  suited  my  purpose,  combining  them  into 
groups,  and  coloring  them  from  my  own  imagination.  One 
thing  I attempted  which  I should  now  hardly  venture 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


15 


upon — the  clouds  of  dust  by  which  the  distant  objects  are 
obscured.  This  picture  is  in  the  Gallery  at  New  Haven. 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  1773,  my  excellent  friend, 
Master  Tisdale,  had  a stroke  of  paralysis,  which  disabled 
him  entirely  from  performing  his  duties.  He  earnestly  so- 
licited me  to  take  charge  of  his  school  until  the  event  of  his 
illness  should  be  known ; with  the  approbation  of  my  father 
I did  so,  and  during  the  winter  had  under  my  care  seventy 
or  eighty  scholars,  from  children  just  lisping  their  A,  B,  C, 
to  young  men  preparing  for  college,  among  whom  were 
some  my  seniors.  It  was  an  arduous  task,  but  a very  use- 
ful one ; my  first  entrance  upon  the  realities,  the  sad  real- 
ities of  human  life.  In  the  spring,  Mr.  Tisdale  recovered 
so  far  as  to  be  able  to  resume  his  invaluable  labors. 

In  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1774,  the  angry  discus- 
sions between  Great  Britain  and  her  colonies  began  to  as- 
sume a very  serious  tone.  As  the  low  growling  of  distant 
thunder  announces  the  approach  of  the  natural  tempest,  so 
did  these  discussions  give  evident  notice  that  a moral  storm 
was  at  hand,  and  men  began  to  fear  that  the  decision  of 
these  angry  questions  must  ere  long  be  referred  to  the 
ultima  ratio . 

I caught  the  growing  enthusiasm ; the  characters  of 
Brutus,  of  Paulus  Emilius,  of  the  Scipios,  were  fresh  in 
my  remembrance,  and  their  devoted  patriotism  always  be- 
fore my  eye ; besides,  my  father  was  now  governor  of  the 
colony,  and  a patriot, — of  course  surrounded  by  patriots,  to 
whose  ardent  conversations  I listened  daily — it  would  have 
been  strange  if  all  this  had  failed  to  produce  its  natural 
effect.  I sought  for  military  information ; acquired  what 
knowledge  I could,  soon  formed  a small  company  from 
among  the  young  men  of  the  school  and  the  village, 
taught  them,  or  more  properly  we  taught  each  other,  to 


16 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


✓ 


use  the  musket  and  to  march,  and  military  exercises  and 
studies  became  the  favorite  occupation  of  the  day. 

Of  these  youthful  companions,  several  became  valuable 
officers  in  the  war  which  soon  followed.  Two  brothers, 
my  vei;y  particular  friends  and  companions,  Judah  and 
Roger  Alden,  distinguished  themselves.  Judah  com- 
manded a company  with  which,  in  1777,  he  covered  the 
retreat  of  a reconnoitering  column  in  West  Chester  coun- 
try, and  was  killed  in  the  defense  of  a bridge  over  the 
Bronx.  Roger  rose  to  the  rank  of  major,  and  died  lately, 
postmaster  at  West  Point. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL.  17 


CHAPTER  II. 

Age,  19  to  21—1775  to  1777—2  years. 

Revolution — Enter  the  army  as  adjutant  of  the  1st  Connecticut  regiment, 
commanded  by  Gen.  Spencer — Stationed  at  Roxbury — Distant  view  of 
the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill — Death  of  my  favorite  sister — Arrival  of 
Gen.  Washington — Early  promotion  to  the  rank  of  his  aid-du-camp — 
Succeeded  by  Edmund  Randolph  of  Virginia — Major  of  brigade  of  the 
right  wing  of  the  army — Draw  a plan  of  Boston,  and  of  the  surround- 
ing positions  of  the  blockading  army — Present  at  the  occupation  of 
Dorchester  Heights — Evacuation  of  Boston — March  of  the  army  to 
New  York — There  occupied  quarters  in  Col.  Rutgers’  house — Division 
encamped  on  the  neighboring  high  grounds  of  Corlaer’s  Hook — Gen. 
Gates,  late  adjutant  general  of  the  army,  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major 
general,  and  to  the  command  of  the  Northern  department,  with  the 
power  of  naming  his  adjutant  and  quarter-master  general — Offers  me 
the  situation  of  adjutant  general,  with  the  rank  of  colonel — Accept, 
and  on  the  28th  of  July,  1776,  leave  my  employment  of  major  of  brig- 
ade and  go  with  him  to  Albany — Proceed  to  join  the  army  at  Crown 
Point — Ordered  to  fall  back  on  Ticonderoga — Melancholy  return  of 
the  army,  five  thousand  two  hundred;  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
sick — Occupation  of  the  campaign — Plan  of  the  military  position  of 
Ticonderoga — Mount  Independence  and  Mount  Defiance — Suggest  a 
new  plan  of  defense  for  this  post — Close  of  the  campaign — Attend 
Gen.  Gates  to  Albany,  and  Newtown  in  Pennsylvania — Join  General 
Washington — Ordered  with  Gen.  Arnold  to  Providence — Resignation. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1775,  the  tempest  which  had  been 
long  preparing,  burst  at  Lexington  in  Massachusetts  ; the 
blood  of  our  brethren  cried  from  the  earth,  and  the  cry  was 
heard  throughout  New  England.  In  Connecticut,  a pro- 
visional military  organization  already  existed,  and  the  1st 
regiment  of  Connecticut  troops,  commanded  by  General 
Joseph  Spencer,  started  into  view  as  by  magic,  and  was 
on  its  march  for  Boston  before  the  1st  of  May.  Of  this 


18 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


regiment,  I was  adjutant.  Gen.  Spencer,  a friend  of  my 
father,  was  somewhat  advanced  in  life,  brave  but  prudent, 
and  it  was  arranged  that  I should  be  a member  of  his  fam- 
ily— a sort  of  aid-du-camp. 

When  my  mother  was  preparing  and  packing  up  my 
linen  and  clothes  for  this  campaign,  she  said  to  me,  “ My 
“ son,  when  I recollect  the  sufferings  of  your  infancy,  with 
“your  present  feebleness  of  constitution,  and  anticipate 
“ the  hardships  and  dangers  to  which  you  are  about  to  be 
“ exposed,  I hardly  dare  to  hope  that  we  shall  ever  meet 
“ again ; however,  in  all  events,  my  dear  son,  I charge  you 
“ so  to  conduct  yourself,  that  if  ever  I do  see  you  again, 
“ it  may  be  with  the  pride  and  delight  of  a mother.” 

The  regiment  reached  the  vicinity  of  Boston  early  m 
May,  and  was  stationed  at  Roxbury  : the  parade  and  alarm 
post  was  a field  on  the  hill  between  the  meeting-house  and 
the  then  road,  in  full  view  of  the  enemy’s  lines  at  the  en- 
trance of  Boston. 

The  entire  army,  if  it  deserved  the  name,  was  but  an 
assemblage  of  brave,  enthusiastic,  undisciplined  country 
lads ; the  officers  in  general  quite  as  ignorant  of  military 
life  as  the  troops,  excepting  a few  elderly  men,  who  had 
seen  some  irregular  service  among  the  provincials,  under 
Lord  Amherst. 

Our  first  occupation  was  to  secure  our  own  positions,  by 
constructing  field-works  for  defense.  The  command  of 
the  Roxbury  division,  forming  properly  the  right  wing  of 
the  army,  was  entrusted  to  Gen.  Thomas,  of  Massachu- 
setts, a brave  and  well  educated  man  of  fine  talents,  and 
who  had  seen  some  service ; his  head-quarters  were  on  the 
hill,  near  the  meeting-house. 

Nothing  of  military  importance  occurred  for  some  time ; 
the  enemy  occasionally  fired  upon  our  working  parties, 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


19 


whenever  they  approached  too  nigh  to  their  works ; and  in 
order  to  familiarize  our  raw  soldiers  to  this  exposure,  a small 
reward  was  offered  in  general  orders,  for  every  ball  fired 
by  the  enemy,  which  should  be  picked  up  and  brought  to 
head-quarters.  This  soon  produced  the  intended  effect — 
a fearless  emulation  among  the  men ; but  it  produced  also 
a very  unfortunate  result ; for  when  the  soldiers  saw  a ball, 
after  having  struck  and  rebounded  from  the  ground  several 
times,  (en  ricochet ,)  roll  sluggishly  along,  they  would  run 
and  place  a foot  before  it,  to  stop  it,  not  aware  that  a heavy 
ball  long  retains  sufficient  impetus  to  overcome  such  an  ob- 
stacle. The  consequence  was,  that  several  brave  lads  lost 
their  feet,  which  were  crushed  by  the  weight  of  the  rolling 
shot.  The  order  was  of  course  withdrawn,  and  they  were 
cautioned  against  touching  a ball,  until  it  was  entirely  at 
rest.  One  thing  had  been  ascertained  by  this  means,  the 
caliber  of  the  enemy’s  guns — eighteen  pounds.  Thirteen 
inch  shells  were  also  occasionally  fired,  some  of  which  ex- 
ploded, at  first,  to  our  no  small  annoyance  and  alarm ; but 
some  of  these  also  being  picked  up,  (having  failed  of  igni- 
ting,) were  carried  to  head -quarters,  and  by  this  means 
their  dimensions  were  also  ascertained. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  I was  out  at  daybreak,  visiting  the 
piquet-guard  of  the  regiment,  which  was  posted  in  full  view 
of  Boston  and  the  bay  behind  it,  when  I was  startled  by  a 
gun,  fired  from  a small  sloop  of  war,  lying  at  anchor  be- 
tween the  town  and  Letchmere’s  point,  about  where  the 
Cambridgeport  bridge  now  is.  It  was  the  hour  for  the 
morning  gun,  but  what,  thought  I,  has  this  little  thing  to  do 
with  the  morning  gun,  which  is  always  fired  by  the  admiral, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  town.  It  was  very  soon  followed 
by  another,  apparently  from  the  Somerset,  sixty  four,  which 
lay  between  the  north  end  of  Boston  and  Charlestown.  It 


20 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


soon  became  evident  to  us  in  Roxbury,  that  some  move- 
ment was  making  in  that  quarter,  but  we  knew  not  what. 
Although  the  distance  between  Roxbury  and  Charlestown, 
measured  across  the  bay,  on  a direct  line,  might  not  exceed 
four  miles,  yet  by  the  road,  over  the  bridge,  and  through 
the  town  of  Cambridge,  it  was  not  far  from  twelve.  As 
the  day  advanced,  the  firing  continued  to  increase,  and  our 
anxiety  to  know  the  cause  was  extreme ; when  at  length, 
near  noon,  we  learned  that  a detachment  from  Cam- 
bridge, had,  during  the  preceding  night,  taken  post  on  the 
hill  behind  Charlestown,  and  were  engaged  in  throwing 
up  a work.  They  had  been  discovered  from  the  ships  at 
daybreak,  and  fired  upon.  Charlestown  and  the  hills  be- 
hind it  were  in  full  view  from  the  upper  windows  of  head- 
quarters, but  the  distance  was  too  great  for  the  naked  eye 
to  ascertain  what  was  doing.  It  was  about  three  o’clock 
when  the  firing  suddenly  increased,  and  became  very 
heavy  and  continuous ; and  soon  after,  with  the  help  of 
glasses,  the  smoke  of  fire-arms  became  visible  along  the 
ridge  of  the  hill,  and  fire  was  seen  to  break  out  among 
the  buildings  of  the  town,  which  soon  extended  rapidly, 
and  enveloped  the  whole  in  flames.  We  could  ascertain 
by  the  receding  of  the  smoke  on  the  ridge  of  the  hill,  that 
our  troops  were  losing  ground,  but  we  had  no  correct  infor- 
mation of  the  result  of  the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  until  late 
at  night. 

In  the  mean  time,  when  the  firing  became  frequent  and 
heavy,  the  troops  in  Roxbury  were  ordered  under  arms, 
and  to  their  posts.  Gen.  Spencer’s  regiment  was  drawn 
up  on  their  parade,  in  full  view  of  the  enemy’s  lines,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  we  attracted  their  attention  and  their 
fire.  Several  of  their  heavy  shot  passed  over  us,  and  we 
were  soon  ordered  to  fall  back  to  the  hill  above  the  meet- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL.  21 

ing-house.  It  was  my  duty  as  adjutant  to  bring  up  the 
rear,  and  pick  up  stragglers.  In  crossing  a stone  fence, 
which  the  regiment  in  their  retreat  had  nearly  levelled,  a 
soldier  was  on  my  right,  not  more  than  two  feet  distant, 
when  I heard  the  rush  of  a heavy  ball,  and  the  poor  fellow 
at  my  side  fell,  and  cried  out  that  he  was  killed.  I looked 
at  him — his  limbs  were  all  entire — I saw  no  blood,  and  nat- 
urally concluding  that  his  fall  was  occasioned  by  extreme 
fear,  I told  him  that  he  was  not  hurt,  but  only  frightened, 
and  bade  him  get  up.  He  insisted  that  he  could  not  rise, 
and  I called  some  other  soldiers  to  help  him  to  the  rear  and 
to  the  surgeon.  Some  time  after  I enquired  for  him,  and 
was  told  that  he  was  dead.  There  was  no  external  wound, 
but  the  body  over  the  region  of  the  heart  was  black  from 
extravasated  blood.  It  is  said  that  the  rush  of  a heavy  ball, 
by  its  passage  through  the  air,  occasions  a momentary  vac- 
uum ; probably  this  ball  passed  close  to  the  heart  at  the 
instant  of  a violent  throb,  (whether  from  fear  or  exertion,) 
and  the  blood-vessels,  unsustained  by  the  pressure  of  the 
atmosphere,  gave  way.  In  this  manner  I account  for  the 
effects  produced  by  what  is  called  “ the  wind  of  a ball.” 

The  regiment  fell  back  to  the  summit  of  the  hill,  and 
we  there  passed  the  night  on  our  arms.  Charlestown,  at 
that  time,  contained  perhaps  six  hundred  buildings  of  vari- 
ous sizes,  almost 'all  of  wood,  and  lay  full  in  our  view,  in 
one  extended  line  of  fire. 

The  British,  victorious  indeed  so  far  as  the  possession 
of  the  field  went,  but  fearfully  cut  up,  were  apparently  not 
without  apprehension  that  their  obstinate  enemy  might 
rally  and  renew  the  action,  and  therefore  kept  up  during 
the  night  a frequent  fire  of  shot  and  shells  in  the  direction 
of  Cambridge.  The  roar  of  artillery — the  bursting  of 
shells,  (whose  track,  like  that  of  a comet,  was  marked  on 


i 


22 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


the  dark  sky,  by  a long  train  of  light  from  the  burning 
fuze) — and  the  blazing  ruins  of  the  town,  formed  alto- 
gether a sublime  scene  of  military  magnificence  and  ruin. 
That  night  was  a fearful  breaking  in  for  young  soldiers,  who 
there,  for  the  first  time,  were  seeking  repose  on  the  sum- 
mit of  a bare  rock,  surrounded  by  such  a scene. 

About  noon  of  that  day,  I had  a momentary  interview 
with  my  favorite  sister,  the  wife  of  Colonel,  afterwards 
General  Huntington,  whose  regiment  was  on  its  march  to 
join  the  army.  The  novelty  of  military  scenes  excited 
great  curiosity  through  the  country,  and  my  sister  was  one 
of  a party  of  young  friends  who  were  attracted  to  visit 
the  army  before  Boston.  She  was  a woman  of  deep  and 
affectionate  sensibility,  and  the  moment  of  her  visit  was 
most  unfortunate.  She  found  herself  surrounded,  not  by 
the  “ pomp  and  circumstance  of  glorious  war,”  but  in  the 
midst  of  all  its  horrible  realities.  She  saw  too  clearly  the 
life  of  danger  and  hardship  upon  which  her  husband  and 
her  favorite  brother  had  entered,  and  it  overcame  her 
strong,  but  too  sensitive  mind.  She  became  deranged, 
and  died  the  following  November,  in  Dedham. 

Soon  after  that  memorable  day,  General  Washington 
arrived  and  assumed  the  command  of  the  army.  A few 
days  after  his  arrival,  I was  told  by  my  eldest  brother,  the 
commissary  general,  that  the  commander  in  chief  was  very 
desirous  of  obtaining  a correct  plan  of  the  enemy’s  works, 
in  front  of  our  position  on  Boston  neck  ; and  he  advised 
me  (as  I could  draw)  to  attempt  to  execute  a view  and  plan, 
as  a mean  of  introducing  myself  (probably)  to  the  favorable 
notice  of  the  general.  I took  his  advice  and  began  the 
attempt,  by  creeping  (under  the  concealment  of  high  grass) 
so  nigh  that  I could  ascertain  that  the  work  consisted  of 
a curtain  crossing  the  entrance  of  the  town,  flanked  by 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


23 


two  bastions,  one  on  the  western  and  the  other  on  the 
eastern  side,  and  I had  ascertained  the  number  of  guns 
mounted  on  the  eastern,  (their  caliber  was  already  known,) 
when  my  farther  progress  was  rendered  unnecessary  by 
the  desertion  of  one  of  the  British  artillery -men,  who 
brought  out  with  him  a rude  plan  of  the  entire  work.  My 
drawing  was  also  shown  to  the  general,  and  their  corres- 
pondence proved  that  as  far  as  I had  gone  I was  correct. 
This  (probably)  led  to  my  future  promotion ; for,  soon 
after,  I was  presented  to  the  general,  and  appointed  his 
second  aid-du-camp ; the  first  was  Thomas  Mifflin  of 
Philadelphia,  who  was  afterwards  governor  of  the  state 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  president  of  Congress  in  1783,  when 
General  Washington  resigned  his  commmission.  Joseph 
Reed,  (also  of  Philadelphia,)  was  secretary,  and  Horatio 
Gates  adjutant  general. 

The  scene  at  head-quarters  was  altogether  new  and 
strange  to  me,  for  the  ruined  state  of  my  father’s  fortune, 
and  the  retirement  in  which  he  lived  at  Lebanon,  had 
prevented  my  having  seen  much  of  elegant  society.  I 
now  suddenly  found  myself  in  the  family  of  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  and  dignified  men  of  the  age;  sur- 
rounded at  his  table,  by  the  principal  officers  of  the  army, 
and  in  constant  intercourse  with  them — it  was  further  my 
duty  to  receive  company  and  do  the  honors  of  the  house  to 
many  of  the  first  people  of  the  country  of  both  sexes.  I 
soon  felt  myself  unequal  to  the  elegant  duties  of  my  situ- 
ation, and  was  gratified  when  Mr.  Edmund  Randolph 
(afterwards  secretary  of  state)  and  Mr.  Baylor  arrived 
from  Virginia,  and  were  named  aids-du-camp,  to  succeed 
Mr.  Mifflin  and  myself.  Mifflin  was  made  quarter-master 
general  of  the  army,  and  I a major  of  brigade  at  Roxbury. 
In  this  situation  I was  at  home,  for  it  was  but  the  duty 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


of  an  adjutant  upon  an  extended  scale ; the  accuracy  of 
my  returns  very  soon  attracted  the  notice  of  the  adjutant 
general,  (Gates,)  and  I became  in  some  degree  a favorite 
with  him. 

Nothing  important  occurred,  until  in  March,  the  Rox- 
bury  division  or  right  wing  of  the  army,  received  orders  to 
take  possession  of  the  heights  of  Dorchester.  This  was 
done  in  the  evening  of  the  4th  of  March,  with  perfect 
order,  secrecy  and  success.  Our  movement  was  not  dis- 
covered by  the  enemy  until  the  following  morning,  and  we 
had  an  uninterrupted  day  to  strengthen  the  works  Which 
had  been  commenced  the  night  preceding.  During  this 
day  we  sawr distinctly  the  preparations  which  the  enemy 
were  making  to  dislodge  us.  The  entire  water  front  of 
Boston  lay  open  to  our  observation,  and  we  saw  the  em- 
barkation of  troops  from  the  various  wharves,  on  board  of 
ships,  which  hauled  off  in  succession,  and  anchored  in  a 
line  in  our  front,  a little  before  sunset,  prepared  to  land 
the  troops  in  the  morning. 

We  were  in  high  spirits,  well  prepared  to  receive  the 
threatened  attack.  Our  position,  on  the  summits  of  two 
smooth,  steep  hills, , were  strong  by  nature,  and  well  for- 
tified. We  had  at  least  twenty  pieces  of  artillery  mounted 
on  them,  amply  supplied  with  ammunition,  and  a very  con- 
siderable force  of  well  armed  infantry.  We  waited  with 
impatience  for  the  attack,  when  we  meant  to  'emulate, 
and  hoped  to  eclipse,  the  glories  of  Bunker’s  Hill.  In 
the  evening  the  commander  in  chief  visited  us,  and  exam- 
ined all  our  points  of  preparation  for  defense.  Soon 
(after  his  visit,  the  rain,  which  had  already  commenced, 
increased  to  a violent  storm,  and  heavy  gale  of  wind, 
which  deranged  all  the  enemy’s  plan  of  debarkation,  dri- 
ving the  ships  foul  of  each  other,  and  from  their  anchors, 


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LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


25 


m utter  confusion,  and  thus  put  a stop  to  the  intended 
operation. 

Within  a few  days  the  enemy  abandoned  Boston,  and 
we  entered  it  on  St.  Patrick’s  day,  the  17th  of  March. 
It  was  a magnificent  and  beautiful  sight — the  numerous 
fleet  of  ships  dropping  down  to  the  outer  harbor  and  pro- 
ceeding to  sea.  We  viewed  this  triumphant  and  glorious 
scene  with  exultation,  and  at  leisure,  for  it  had  been 
mutually  stipulated  that  we  would  do  nothing  to  interrupt 
the  departure  of  the  navy  and  army,  on  condition  that 
they  would  commit  no  depredations  on  the  town. 

A strong  detachment,  commanded  by  General  Thomas, 
was  immediately  ordered  to  reinforce  the  army  in  Can- 
ada, and  the  main  body  of  the  troops  was  marched 
towards  New  York,  which  was  thought  to  be  the  prob- 
able scene  of  the  future  operations  of  the  enemy;  our 
troops  moved  to  New  London  and  there  embarked  for 
New  York.  Lebanon  was  nearly  on  the  line  of  march, 
and  I obtained  an  opportunity  of  seeing  my  parents  and 
family,  for  a day  or  two,  and  proceeded  to  New  York  by 
land. 

The  brigade  to  which  I was  attached,  was  encamped 
on  the  (then)  beautiful  high  ground,  which  surrounded 
Col.  Rutgers’s  seat,  near  Corker’s  Hook.  In  the  levelling 
spirit  of  the  age,  all  that  part  of  the  city  is  now  flat  as  a 
table. 

Nothing  of  military  importance  occurred  during  the 
months  of  April,  May,  and  June.  This  time  was  passed 
in  erecting  works,  to  oppose  the  expected  attack  of  the 
enemy,  and  in  drilling  the  troops  to  a somewhat  improved 
state  of  discipline. 

Meantime,  the  affairs  in  Canada  were  in  a deplorable 
state,  and  in  addition  to  the  reinforcement  under  com- 

4 


26 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


mand  of  General  Thomas,  which  had  been  sent  from 
Roxbury  in  March,  another  strong  detachment,  under  the 
command  of  General  Sullivan,  was  now  ordered  from  New 
York  to  that  quarter ; and  in  June,  General  Gates,  the 
late  adjutant  general,  having  been  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  major  general,  was  appointed  to  take  the  command  of 
the  northern  department,  (a  term  somewhat  indefinite,  as 
it  afterwards  proved,)  but  then  understood  to  comprehend 
Canada  and  the  northern  frontier.  He  was  expressly 
authorized  to  appoint  his  adjutant  and  quarter-master 
general.  He  offered  me  the  first  of  these  situations,  the 
other  to  Morgan  Lewis,  Esq. ; both  offices  were  accom- 
panied with  the  rank  of  colonel.  I accepted  with  proud 
satisfaction  the  situation  offered  to  me,  resigned  my 
place  as  major  of  brigade,  and  on  the  28th  of  June, 
1776,  embarked  with  General  Gates  and  his  suite  for 
Albany. 

The  navigation  of  the  North  river  by  sloops,  was  at  that 
time  very  different  from  the  present  mode  bv  steam,  and 
we  were  seven  or  eight  days  in  reaching  Albany,  which 
may  now  be  performed  in  almost  as  many  hours.  The 
general  landed  in  the  evening,  and  proceeded  imme- 
diately to  visit  General  Schuyler,  whom  we  found  with 
his  family,  just  seated  at  supper.  I was  very  much 
struck  with  the  elegant  style  of  every  thing  I saw.  We 
here  learned  the  news  of  fresh  disasters  in  Canada,  and 
the  next  morning,  accompanied  by  General  Schuyler,  we 
departed  on  horseback  for  Skeensborough,  (now  White- 
hall.) The  road  as  far  as  Saratoga  was  good ; thence  to 
Fort  Edward  tolerable  ; but  from  that  to  the  head  of 
Lake  Champlain,  bad  as  possible,  and  not  a bridge  over 
any  of  the  small  streams  and  brooks  which  fall  into  Wood 
creek. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


27 


From  Skeensborough  we  proceeded  with  all  diligence 
by  water  to  Ticonderoga,  where  we  learned  that  the  troops 
driven  from  Canada  were  beginning  to  arrive  at  Crown 
Point.  The  two  generals  went  forward  to  that  place 
without  delay,  leaving  me,  with  orders  to  examine  (in 
company  with  Colonel  Wynkoop,  who  commanded  at 
Ticonderoga)  the  ground  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake, 
since  known  by  the  name  of  Mount  Independence,  and 
the  creek  which  falls  into  the  lake  at  the  northern 
extremity  of  that  peninsula.  We  devoted  the  afternoon 
to  a careful  examination  of  the  creek  and  ground,  and 
agreed  in  the  opinion,  that  the  spot  was  admirably 
adapted  for  a military  post.  The  next  morning  I went 
forward  to  Crown  Point,  where  I rejoined  my  general, 
and  there  saw,  in  all  their  horrors,  the  calamities  of  un- 
successful war. 

Early  in  May,  reinforcements  from  England  had  reached 
Quebec,  and  our  troops  were  of  course  obliged  to  retire. 
They  were  constantly  harassed  in  their  retreat,  and  in 
addition,  the  small  pox,  in  its  most  virulent  and  deadly 
form,  had  made  its  appearance  among  them.  General 
Thomas  died  of  this  loathsome  disease  at  Chambly,  and 
the  command  devolved  on  General  Sullivan,  who  con- 
ducted this  calamitous  retreat  in  an  admirable  manner, 
but  was  driven,  from  post  to  post,  until  he  reached  St. 
John’s,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  Lake  Champlain. 
At  that  time  no  road  existed  on  either  side  of  the  lake, 
and  the  only  communication  with  Albany  and  the  southern 
country  was  by  its  waters.  General  Sullivan  having  se- 
cured all  the  vessels  and  boats  at  St.  John’s,  and  destroyed 
all  which  were  not  necessary  for  the  conveyance  of  his 
troops,  by  this  means  effectually  prevented  the  immediate 
advance  and  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  Thus  the  wretched 


28 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


remnant  of  the  army  reached  Crown  Point  in  safety,  but 
it  is  difficult  to  conceive  a state  of  much  deeper  misery. 
The  boats  were  leaky  and  without  awnings ; the  sick 
being  laid  upon  their  bottoms  without  straw,  were  soon 
drenched  in  the  filthy  water  of  that  peculiarly  stagnant 
muddy  lake,  exposed  to  the  burning  sun  of  the  month 
of  July,  with  no  sustenance  but  raw  salt  pork,  which 
was  often  rancid,  and  hard  biscuit  or  unbaked  flour ; 
no  drink  but  the  vile  water  of  the  lake,  modified  perhaps, 
not  corrected,  by  bad  rum,  and  scarcely  any  medicine. 
(See  in  the  Appendix,  letter  of  Dr.  Meyrick.) 

My  first  duty,  upon  my  arrival  at  Crown  Point,  was 
to  procure  a return  of  the  number  and  condition  of  the 
troops.  I found  them  dispersed,  some  few  in  tents,  some 
in  sheds,  and  more  under  the  shelter  of  miserable  bush 
huts,  so  totally  disorganized  by  the  death  or  sickness  of 
officers,  that  the  distinction  of  regiments  and  corps  was 
in  a great  degree  lost ; so  that  I was  driven  to  the  neces- 
sity of  great  personal  examination,  and  I can  truly  say 
that  I did  not  look  into  tent  or  hut  in  which  I did  not 
find  either  a dead  or  dying  man.  I can  scarcely  imagine 
any  more  disastrous  scene,  except  the  retreat  of  Buona- 
parte from  Moscow — that  probably  was  the  very  acme  of 
human  misery.  I found  the  whole  number  of  officers  and 
men  to  be  five  thousand  two  hundred,  and  the  sick  who 
required  the  attentions  of  an  hospital  were  two  thousand 
eight  hundred,  so  that  when  they  were  sent  off,  with  the 
number  of  men  necessary  to  row  them  to  the  hospital, 
which  had  been  established  at  the  south  end  of  Lake 
George,  a distance  of  fifty  miles,  there  would  remain  but 
the  shadow  of  an  army.  Crown  Point  was  not  tenable 
by  such  a wreck,  and  we  were  ordered  to  fall  back 
upon  Ticonderoga  immediately. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


29 


There  my  first  duty  was,  in  company  with  Colonel 
Wayne,  to  make  a second  examination  of  Mount  Inde- 
pendence. He  joined  in  the  opinion  before  expressed  by 
Col.  Wynkoop  and  myself,  that  the  ground  was  finely 
adapted  for  a military  post.  At  the  northern  point,  it  ran 
low  into  the  lake,  offering  a good  landing  place;  from 
thence  the  land  rose  to  an  almost  level  plateau,  elevated 
from  fifty  to  seventy-five  feet  above  the  lake,  and  sur- 
rounded, on  three  sides,  by  a natural  wall  of  rock,  every 
where  steep,  and  sometimes  an  absolute  precipice  sink- 
ing to  the  lake.  On  the  fourth  and  eastern  side  of  the 
position  ran  a morass  and  deep  creek  at  the  foot  of 
the  rock,  which  strengthened  that  front,  leaving  room 
only,  by  an  easy  descent,  for  a road  to  the  east,  and  to 
the  landing  from  the  southern  end  of  the  lake.  We 
found  plentiful  springs  of  good  water,  at  the  foot  of  the 
rock.  The  whole  was  covered  with  primeval  forest.  (See 
a drawing  of  this  ground,  and  the  general  positions  of  the 
army.) 

Part  of  the  troops,  as  they  arrived  from  Crown  Point, 
being  ordered  to  land  and  take  post  on  this  spot,  pro- 
ceeded to  clear  away  the  wood,  and  to  encamp.  The 
exhalations  from  the  earth,  which  was  now,  for  the  first 
time,  exposed  to  the  rays  of  a midsummer  sun,  combined 
with  the  fog  which  rose  from  the  pestilent  lake,  soon  pro- 
duced sickness  in  a new  shape — a fever  very  nearly 
resembling  the  yellow  fever  of  the  present  time — and  it 
was  not  unusual  to  see  the  strongest  men  carried  off  by 
it  in  two  or  three  days.  The  four  Pennsylvania  regiments, 
the  elite  of  the  army,  were  posted  in  the  old  French  lines, 
which  they  were  ordered  to  repair ; and  at  all  points  the 
troops  were  actively  employed  in  strengthening  old  works 
of  defense,  or  in  constructing  new  ones. 


30 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


In  the  mean  time,  reinforcements  were  earnestly  solicited 
from  the  New  England  states,  and  promptly  sent  on,  so 
that  the  post  soon  assumed  the  aspect  of  military  strength 
and  activity.  Ship  carpenters  were  also  requested  from 
the  eastern  states,  who  were  employed  at  Skeensborough 
in  building  the  hulls  of  gallies  and  boats,  with  which  to 
dispute  the  possession  of  the  lake  with  the  enemy,  who 
were  busy  at  St.  John’s  in  similar  preparations ; these  gal- 
lies, as  soon  as  launched,  were  sent  down  the  lake  to  Ticon- 
deroga,  to  be  there  equipped  and  armed.  These  naval 
preparations  were  made  under  the  superintendence  of 
Gen.  Arnold,  and  in  this,  as  well  as  in  every  branch  of  the 
various  duties,  I had  my  full  share. 

The  position  of  the  army  extended  from  Mount  Inde- 
pendence on  the  right  and  east  side  of  the  lake,  to  the  old 
French  lines  on  the  west  forming  our  left,  protected  at 
various  points  by  redoubts  and  batteries,  on  which  were 
mounted  more  than  a hundred  pieces  of  heavy  cannon. 
After  some  time,  it  was  seen  that  the  extreme  left  was 
weak  and  might  easily  be  turned ; a post  was  therefore 
established  on  an  eminence,  near  half  a mile  in  advance 
of  the  old  French  lines,  which  was  called  Mount  Hope. 
Thus  our  entire  position  formed  an  extensive  crescent,  of 
which  the  center  was  a lofty  eminence,  called  Mount  De- 
fiance, the  termination  of  that  mountain  ridge  which  sep- 
arates Lake  George  from  Lake  Champlain,  and  which 
rises  precipitously  from  the  waters  of  the  latter  to  a height 
of  six  hundred  feet.  The  outlet  of  Lake  George  enters 
Champlain  at  the  foot  of  this  eminence,  and  separates 
it  from  the  old  French  fort  and  lines  of  Ticonderoga. 
This  important  position  had  hitherto  been  neglected 
by  the  engineers  of  all  parties,  French,  English  and 
American. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


31 


I had  for  some  time,  regarded  this  eminence  as  com- 
pletely overruling  our  entire  position.  It  was  said,  indeed, 
to  be  at  too  great  a distance  to  be  dangerous;  but  by 
repeated  observation  I had  satisfied  my  mind  that  the 
distance  was  by  no  means  so  great  as  was  generally  sup- 
posed, and  at  length,  at  the  table  of  Gen.  Gates,  where  the 
principal  officers  of  the  army  were  present,  I ventured  to 
advance  the  new  and  heretical  opinion,  that  our  position 
was  bad  and  untenable,  as  being  overlooked  in  all  its  parts 
by  this  hill.  I was  ridiculed  for  advancing  such  an  extrav- 
agant idea.  I persisted  however,  and  as  the  truth  could 
not  be  ascertained  by  argument,  by  theory,  or  by  ridicule, 
I requested  and  obtained  the  general’s  permission  to  ascer- 
tain it  by  experiment.  General  (then  Major)  Stevens  was 
busy  at  the  north  point  of  Mount  Independence  in  exam- 
ining and  proving  cannon ; I went  over  to  him  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  and  selected  a long  double  fortified  French 
brass  gun,  (a  twelve  pounder,)  which  was  loaded  with  the 
proof  charge  of  best  powder  and  double  shotted.  When 
I desired  him  to  elevate  this  gun  so  that  it  should  point  at 
the  summit  of  Mount  Defiance,  he  looked  surprised,  and 
gave  his  opinion  that  the  shot  would  not  cross  the  lake. 
“ That  is  what  I wish  to  ascertain,  Major,”  was  my  answer ; 
“ I believe  they  will,  and  you  will  direct  your  men  to  look 
“ sharp,  and  we  too  will  keep  a good  look-out ; if  the  shot 
“ drop  in  the  lake  their  splash  will  easily  be  seen ; if,  as  I 
“ expect,  they  reach  the  hill,  we  shall  know  it  by  the  dust 
“ of  the  impression  which  they  will  make  upon  its  rocky 
“ face.”  The  gun  was  fired,  and  the  shot  were  plainly  seen 
to  strike  at  more  than  half  the  height  of  the  hill.  I returned 
to  head-quarters  and  made  my  triumphant  report,  and  after 
dinner  requested  the  general  and  officers  who  were  with 
him  to  walk  out  upon  the  glacis  of  the  old  French  fort, 


32 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


where  I had  ordered  a common  six  pound  field  gun  to  be 
placed  in  readiness.  This  was,  in  their  presence,  loaded 
with  the  ordinary  charge,  pointed  at  the  top  of  the  hill, 
and  when  fired,  it  was  seen  that  the  shot  struck  near  the 
summit.  Thus  the  truth  of  the  new  doctrine  was  demon- 
strated ; but  still  it  was  insisted  upon,  that  this  summit  was 
inaccessible  to  an  enemy.  This  also  I denied,  and  again 
resorted  to  experiment.  Gen.  Arnold,  Col.  Wayne,  and 
several  other  active  officers,  accompanied  me  in  the  gen- 
eral’s barge,  which  landed  us  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  where 
it  was  most  precipitous  and  rocky,  and  we  clambered  to 
the  summit  in  a short  time.  The  ascent  teas  difficult  and 
laborious,  but  not  impracticable,  and  when  we  looked 
down  upon  the  outlet  of  Lake  George,  it  was  obvious  to 
all,  that  there  could  be  no  difficulty  in  driving  up  a loaded 
carriage. 

Our  present  position  required  at  least  ten  thousand  men, 
and  an  hundred  pieces  of  artillery,  for  its  doubtful  security. 
I assumed  that  it  would  be  found  impossible  for  the  gov- 
ernment, in  future  campaigns,  to  devote  so  great  a force 
to  the  maintenance  of  a single  post ; and  as  there  was  no 
road  on  either  side  of  the  lake  by  which  an  enemy  could 
penetrate  into  the  country  south,  he  must  necessarily  make 
use  of  this  route  by  water ; and  as  the  summit  of  Mount 
Defiance  looked  down  upon,  and  completely  commanded 
the  narrow  parts  of  both  the  lakes,  a small  but  strong  post 
there,  commanded  by  an  officer  who  would  maintain  it  to 
the  last  extremity,  would  be  a more  effectual  and  essen- 
tially a less  expensive  defense  of  this  pass,  than  all  our 
present  extended  lines. 

On  these  principles  I proceeded  to  draw  up  two  me- 
moirs, in  one  of  which  was  stated  the  number  of  men,  ten 
thousand , with  the  expense  of  their  pay,  subsistence,  cloth- 


7"  / ////;  c/s 


LIFF 

\ 


CTF  JOHN  TRUMBULL.  33 

ing,  &c.,  and  of  artille  ry  at  lfeast  one  hundred  pieces,  with 
their  attirail,  ammunition,  &,c.,  necessary  to  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  present  system  of  defense ; in  the  other,  an 
estimate  of  the  expense  of  erecting  a permanent  work  on 
the  summit  in  question,  large  enough  to  contain  a garrison 
of  five  hundred  men,  and  mounting  twenty  five  heavy 
guns,  with  the  ammunition,  pay  and  provisions  for  that  force 
for  one  year.  The  relative  expense  of  the  two  systems  was 
as  twenty  to  one  nearly.  These  memoirs  I accompanied 
with  plans  of  our  present  position.  I found  time  to  draw 
up  three  copies,  both  of  the  plans  and  memoirs,  one  to  be 
submitted  to  Gen.  Gates,  one  to  Gen.  Schuyler,  and  one 
to  Congress.  My  other  duties  were  so  pressing  that  I 
could  proceed  no  farther ; I have  always  lamented  that  I 
found  it  impossible  to  prepare  one  for  my  father,  for  among 
his  papers  it  would  have  been  preserved.  I have  vainly 
sought  a copy  among  the  papers  of  Gen.  Schuyler  and  of 
Gen.  Gates.  Happily,  however,  I have  lately  obtained, 
from  among  the  papers  of  my  father,  a drawing  of  the  post 
made  by  me  in  the  month  of  August  and  sent  to  him ; an 
accurate  copy  of  this  is  given  in  the  annexed  plate,  and 
sufficiently  explains  and  confirms  all  that  has  been  said 
upon  this  subject. 

The  events  of  the  succeeding  campaign  demonstrated 
the  correctness  of  my  views,  for  Gen.  St.  Clair  was  left  to 
defend  Ticonderoga  without  any  essential  addition  to  the 
garrison  which  had  been  placed  under  his  command  by 
Gen.  Gates  in  the  preceding  November,  because  the  Con- 
gress could  not  spare  more  men  or  means  ; so  that,  when 
General  Burgoyne  presented  himself  at  Three  Mile  Point, 
no  opposition  could  be  hazarded  to  his  movements,  and 
instead  of  assaulting  the  works,  (as  had  been  formerly  done 
by  Gen.  Abercrombie  in  1757,)  he  silently  turned  the  left 

5 


34 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


of  the  position,  crossed  the  outlet  of  Lake  George,  and 
established  a battery  of  heavy  guns  on  the  summit  of 
Mount  Defiance,  the  shot  from  which  plunged  into  the 
old  French  fort  and  lines,  and  reached  all  points  of  Mount 
Independence,  so  that,  as  I had  predicted,  the  whole  posi- 
tion became  untenable,  and  was  immediately  abandoned. 
General  St.  Clair  became  the  object  of  furious  denuncia- 
tions, whereas  he  merited  thanks,  for  having  saved  a part 
of  the  devoted  garrison,  who  subsequently  formed  the 
nucleus  of  that  force  by  which,  in  the  course  of  the  cam- 
paign, Gen.  Burgoyne  was  ultimately  baffled,  and  com- 
pelled to  surrender  his  victorious  army  by  the  convention 
of  Saratoga. 

Early  in  October  our  naval  preparations  were  completed, 
and  our  little  fleet,  composed  of  a brig,  several  gallies  and 
gun-boats,  mounting  altogether  more  than  one  hundred 
guns,  commanded  by  Generals  Arnold  and  Waterbury, 
proceeded  down  the  lake  to  look  for  the  enemy.  His 
preparations  were  completed  about  the  same  time,  and  on 
the  11th  of  October  the  two  fleets  met,  engaged,  and  we 
were  defeated  with  total  loss.  Gen.  Arnold  ran  the  galley 
which  he  commanded  on  shore,  and  escaped  with  the 
crew ; the  other  vessels  were  either  taken  or  destroyed, 
and  their  crews,  (with  the  exception  of  some  who  got  on 
shore  and  straggled  up  to  the  army,)  with  Gen.  Water- 
bury, remained  prisoners  of  war. 

On  this  occasion  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  who  commanded 
the  hostile  fleet  and  army,  behaved  with  a degree  of  hu- 
manity, as  well  as  policy,  which,  if  it  had  been  generally 
employed  by  other  royal  commanders,  might  have  exposed 
to  great  hazard  the  success  of  America.  As  soon  as  the 
action  was  over,  Sir  Guy  gave  orders  to  the  surgeons  of 
his  own  troops,  to  treat  the  wounded  prisoners  with  the 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL.  35 

* 

same  care  as  they  did  his  own  men.  He  then  ordered 
that  all  the  other  prisoners  should  be  immediately  brought 
on  board  his  own  ship,  the  Royal  Charlotte,  where  he  first 
treated  them  to  a drink  of  grog,  and  then  spoke  kindly  to 
them,  praised  the  bravery  of  their  conduct,  regretted  that 
it  had  not  been  displayed  in  the  service  of  their  lawful 
sovereign,  and  offered  to  send  them  home  to  their  friends, 
on  their  giving  their  parole  that  they  would  not  again  bear 
arms  against  Great  Britain  until  they  should  be  exchanged. 
He  then  invited  Gen.  Waterbury  to  go  below  with  him 
to  his  cabin,  and  requested  to  see  his  commission, — the 
moment  he  saw  that  it  was  signed  by  the  governor  of 
Connecticut,  (my  father,)  he  held  out  his  hand,  and  said, 
“ General  Waterbury,  I am  happy  to  take  you  by  the  hand, 
“ now  that  I see  that  you  are  not  serving  under  a commis- 
“ sion  and  orders  of  the  rebel  Congress,  but  of  Governor 
“Trumbull.  You  are  acting  under  a legitimate  and  ac- 
“ knowledged  authority.  He  is  responsible  for  the  abuse 
“ he  has  made  of  that  authority.  That  which  is  a high 
“ crime  in  him,  is  but  an  error  in  you  ; it  was  your  duty  to 
“ obey  him,  your  legitimate  superior.” 

A few  days  after  this  defeat,  a number  of  row-boats 
approached  our  advanced  post,  and  there  lay  upon  their 
oars  with  a flag  of  truce.  I was  ordered  to  go  down  and 
learn  their  object.  I found  Capt.  Craig,*  with  Gen.  Water- 
bury and  the  other  prisoners  who  been  taken  in  the  recent 
action ; dismissed,  as  Sir  Guy  had  promised,  upon  parole. 
The  usual  civilities  passed  between  Sir  James  and  me,  and 
I received  the  prisoners ; all  were  warm  in  their  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  kindness  with  which  they  had  been  treated, 


* Afterwards  Sir  James  Craig,  and  governor  of  Canada. 


36 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


and  which  appeared  to  me  to  have  made  a very  dangerous 
impression.  I therefore  placed  the  boats  containing  the 
prisoners  under  the  guns  of  a battery,  and  gave  orders 
that  no  one  should  be  permitted  to  land,  and  no  intercourse 
take  place  with  the  troops  on  shore  until  orders  should  be 
received  from  Gen.  Gates.  I hurried  to  make  my  report 
to  him,  and  suggested  the  danger  of  permitting  these  men 
to  have  any  intercourse  with  our  troops  ; — accordingly 
they  were  ordered  to  proceed  immediately  to  Skeensbo- 
rough,  on  their  way  home,  and  they  went  forward  that 
night,  without  being  permitted  to  land. 

A few  days  after,  the  hostile  army  arrived  at  Crown 
Point,  and  a strong  reconnoitering  party  was  pushed  for- 
ward to  look  at  us.  Upon  the  appearance  of  a number 
of  boats  at  Three  Mile  Point,  (so  called  from  its  distance 
from  the  old  French  fort,)  our  whole  force  was  ordered 
under  arms,  and  to  occupy  their  several  posts.  Ticon- 
deroga  must  have  had  a very  imposing  aspect  that  day, 
when  viewed  from  the  lake.  The  whole  summit  of  cleared 
land,  on  both  sides  of  the  lake,  was  crowned  with  redoubts 
and  batteries,  all  manned,  with  a splendid  show  of  artillery 
and  flags.  The  number  of  our  troops  under  arms  on  that 
day  (principally  however  militia)  exceeded  thirteen  thou- 
sand. Our  appearance  was  indeed  so  formidable,  and  the 
season  so  far  advanced,  (late  in  October,)  that  the  enemy 
withdrew  without  making  any  attack,  and  we  were  enabled 
to  dismiss  great  part  of  the  militia,  and  prepare  for  winter 
quarters.  The  best  of  the  troops  wTere  selected  to  remain 
in  garrison  during  the  winter,  under  the  command  of 
General  St.  Clair ; the  remainder  moved  off  in  succession 
for  Albany,  and  on  the  18th  of  November,  Gen.  Gates, 
with  his  staff,  embarked  on  Lake  George,  on  his  way  to 
that  place. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


37 


My  taste  for  the  picturesque  here  received  a splendid 
gratification.  Some  of  the  troops  who  had  passed  before 
us  had  landed  on  the  west  shore  of  the  lake  and  lighted 
fires  for  cooking.  The  season  was  cold  and  dry — the 
leaves  had  fallen  in  masses — the  fire  had  extended  to 
them,  and  spread  from  ledge  to  ledge,  from  rock  to  rock, 
to  the  very  summit,  where  it  was  from  seven  hundred  to  a 
thousand  feet  high.  In  parts  the  fire  crept  along  the  crev- 
ices of  the  rock ; at  times  an  ancient  pine  tree  rose  up  a 
majestic  pyramid  of  flame;  and  all  this  was  reflected  in 
the  pellucid  surface  of  the  lake,  which  lay  like  a beautiful 
mirror  in  the  stillness  of  the  dark  night,  unruffled  but  by 
the  oars  of  our  solitary  boat,  and  these  were  frequently 
suspended  that  we  might  enjoy  the  magnificent  scene. 
No  human  habitation  was  exposed  to  danger,  for  none 
existed  on  that  desolate  and  rocky  shore.  Snakes,  bears 
and  wolves  were  the  only  living  things  exposed  to  harm. 

Late  in  the  night  we  reached  Fort  George,  at  the  head 
of  the  lake,  and  thence  proceeded  to  Albany  by  land. 
There  the  general  met  an  order  from  General  Washington 
to  hasten  on  with  all  the  disposable  troops,  and  join  him 
behind  the  Delaware  river.  The  best  troops  were  select- 
ed, (the  remainder  being  discharged  into  winter  quarters,) 
and  with  thpse  we  proceeded  by  water  as  far  as  Esopus, 
(Kingston,)  thence  by  land  through  the  then  uncultivated 
country  of  the  Minisink,  nearly  on  the  route  of  the  present 
Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal — inclining  to  the  left  to  Sus- 
sex court-house,  in  the  hope  of  falling  in  with  and  joining 
the  division  of  General  Lee,  which  we  had  learned  was 
crossing  Jersey.  At  Sussex,  having  learned  Lee’s  unfortu- 
nate capture,  we  inclined  to  the  right,  crossed  the  Delaware 
at  Easton,  and  marched  through  Bethlehem  to  Newtown, 
where  we  joined  the  commander  in  chief,  a few  days 


38 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


before  his  glorious  success  at  Trenton.  News  had  just 
been  received  by  him,  that  a detachment  of  the  enemy 
had  obtained  possession  of  Newport  and  Rhode  Island, 
and  General  Arnold  and  myself  were  ordered  to  hasten 
without  delay  to  that  quarter.  When  we  arrived  at  Prov- 
idence we  found  a body  of  militia  already  collected  there, 
under  the  command  of  my  first  military  friend,  General 
Spencer.  The  enemy  were  quiet  in  Newport,  and  we  in 
our  quarters  in  and  near  Providence. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


39 


CHAPTER  III. 

Age,  20  to  21 — 1777. 

Letters  to  and  from  a member  of  Congress,  explanatory  of  the  motives  of 
my  resignation — Debate  upon  the  subject,  and  final  acceptance  by 
Congress. 

The  22d  of  February,  1777,  terminated  my  regular 
military  career.  The  following  letters  will  explain  the 
cause  and  manner. 

To  the  Hon.  John  Hancock,  Esq.,  President  of  Congress. 

Providence,  R.  I.,  Feb.  22,  1777. 

Sir — Lieut.  Col.  Meigs  has  this  day  delivered  to  me  a 
commission  from  the  most  honorable  the  continental  Con- 
gress, appointing  me  deputy  adjutant  general  in  the  north- 
ern department — an  honor  I had  long  despaired  of. 

I find  the  commission  is  dated  the  12th  of  September, 
1776,  which,  sir,  is  an  insuperable  bar  to  my  accepting  it. 

I have  served  in  that  office  since  the  28th  of  June,  by 
the  appointment  of  the  honorable  Major  General  Gates, 
who  was  authorized  to  make  the  appointment,  by  particu- 
lar instructions  from  Congress. 

v I expect,  sir,  to  be  commissioned  from  that  date,  if  at 
all.  A soldier’s  honor  forbids  the  idea  of  giving  up  the 
least  pretension  to  rank.  I am,  sir,  &c.  &,c. 

The  commission  in  question  was  enclosed  in  the  above, 
and  by  the  same  conveyance  the  following  letter  was 
sent  to  the  Hon.  James  Lovell,  Esq.,  member  of  Con- 
gress. 


40 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Providence,  R.  I.,  Feb.  22,  1777. 


Sir — The  occasion  on  which  I write,  will,  I trust,  justify 
my  troubling  you  with  this  letter;  I shall  not,  therefore, 
make  any  further  apology  for  what  might  otherwise  pass 
for  presumption. 

By  this  conveyance  I have  returned  a commission  which 
I lately  received  from  Congress,  accompanied  by  a short 
letter  to  the  honorable  president ; and  as  my  conduct  may 
be  blamed  by  those  who  are  unacquainted  with  the  treat- 
ment which  I have  received  during  the  past  campaign,  I 
beg  leave  to  give  you  the  necessary  information,  and  my 
reasons  for  this  conduct,  that  you  may  have  it  in  your 
power  (as  I trust  you  will  feel  the  disposition)  to  justify 
me  from  any  aspersions. 

In  August,  1775,  I was  honored  with  the  commission  of 
a major  of  brigade,  in  which  office  I served  until  the  28th 
of  last  June.  In  the  beginning  of  that  month,  General 
Gates  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  general,  and 
was  ordered  to  command  in  the  Northern  department. 
Among  other  powers  contained  in  his  instructions,  he  was 
particularly  directed  to  appoint  a deputy  quarter-master 
general  and  a deputy  adjutant  general  for  the  army  on 
that  station.  On  his  return  to  New  York,  the  general'did 
me  the  honor  to  offer  me  the  latter  place,  an  offer  which 
I accepted  with  gratitude  and  pleasure ; and  on  the  28th 
of  June,  (having  quitted  my  situation  of  major  of  brigade,) 
I sailed  with  the  general  for  Albany.  He  immediately 
wrote  to  Congress  that  he  had  appointed  Colonel  Morgan 
Lewis  and  myself  to  the  two  offices  mentioned,  and  desired 
that  our  commissions  might  be  sent  forward  as  soon  as 
possible.  No  answer  was  received.  On  the  last  of  July, 
or  beginning  of  August,  the  major  general  sent  Colonel 
Lewis  to  Congress,  with  a particular  account  of  the  state 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


41 


of  affairs  in  that  quarter — a detailed  statement  of  wants — 
and  again  mentioned  the  affair  of  our  commissions.  Af- 
.ter  having  waited  five  days  in  Philadelphia,  and  having 
been  referred  daily  from  this  morning  to  to-morrow,  Col. 
Lewis  left  the  city  in  disgust,  and  returned  to  Ticonderoga, 
without  even  a verbal  answer  to  the  dispatches  which  he 
had  carried  ; nor  was  an  answer  received  until  two  months 
from  that  time. 

You  may  suppose  our  situation  to  have  been  uneasy, 
as  any  officer  who  chose  to  dispute  our  rank  might  do  it 
with  impunity.  For  this  reason  I determined  to  quit  the 
army,  the  moment  the  dangers  of  the  campaign  should  be 
past.  I continued  in  service  after  the  defeat  of  our  fleet, 
and  the  retreat  of  the  enemy  into  Canada,  for  no  other 
reason  but  because  my  leaving  the  post  before  the  danger 
was  entirely  past,  might  be  imputed  to  improper  motives. 
I attended  my  general  to  Albany  in  November,  and 
thought  that  to  be  the  long  looked  for  opportunity,  when 
the  day  before  I meant  to  leave  him,  an  express  arrived 
from  General  Washington,  requiring  him  to  take  down  to 
his  assistance  the  northern  army,  who  were  then  going 
into  winter  quarters.  I continued  with  the  troops  from 
the  same  cause  as  before.  On  my  arrival  at  head-quarters 
I was  ordered  to  attend  General  Arnold  to  this  place, 
and  have  remained  in  this  chaos,  until  this  day,  endeavor- 
ing to  introduce  some  idea  of  regularity  and  discipline,  and 
in  the  hope  of  an  opportunity  of  attacking  the  enemy  on 
Rhode  Island.  Our  expectations  are  now  destroyed  by 
the  impossibility  of  obtaining  a number  of  troops  sufficient 
for  the  proposed  purpose,  and  another  opportunity  offers 
for  my  quitting  with  honor  a service  in  which  I have  been 
able  to  acquire  so  little. 


6 


42 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


When  length  of  service,  an  unimpeached  character, 
and  a forwardness  to  serve  in  a quarter  where  success  was 
despaired  of,  is  rewarded  by  neglect , we  have  reason  to 
complain.  But,  sir,  there  was  no  occasion  to  add  insult. 
I considered  myself  sufficiently  affronted  by  being  obliged 
to  wait  eight  months  for  a commission.  Congress  needed 
not  to  wound  my  feelings  further  by  sending  me  at  length 
a commission,  dated  three  months  later  than  the  time  of 
my  entering  upon  the  service  for  which  it  was  given. 

I should  have  less  reason  to  complain,  did  I not  know 
that  officers  of  the  northern  army,  inferior  in  rank  to  my- 
self, have  been  advanced  and  commissioned  without  the 
least  difficulty.  This  prevents  the  hurry  of  business  being 
alledged  as  an  excuse  for  such  treatment. 

If  I have  committed  any  crime,  or  neglected  any  duty, 
since  I engaged  in  the  service  of  my  country ; if  I have 
performed  any  action,  or  spoken  a word  in  my  public 
character,  unworthy  of  my  rank,  let  me  be  tried  by  my 
comrades  and  broke ; but  I must  not  be  thought  so  desti- 
tute of  feeling  as  to  bear  degradation  tamely. 

From  this  day,  therefore,  I lay  aside  my  cockade  and 
sword,  with  the  fixed  determination  never  to  resume  them 
until  I can  do  it  with  honor. 

Thus,  sir,  I have  given  you  the  grounds  of  my  conduct, 
and  shall  esteem  it  a favor  if  you  will  make  use  of  this 
letter  to  justify  me  against  any  improper  reflections  which 
may  be  cast  upon  my  character  and  conduct. 

I have  the  honor  to  be,  &c.  &c. 

To  the  above  letter  I received  the  following  answer. 

Philadelphia,  March  22d,  1777. 

Col.  John  Trumbull, 

Sir — I wrote  you  a few  lines  by  Mr.  Bates,  in  regard 
to  your  manner  of  returning  your  commission.  I was  not 


/ 


LIFE  OF  JOH1V  TRUMBULL. 


43 


* 


then  aware  of  some  circumstances  attending  your  appoint- 
ment, which  have,  upon  this  occasion,  been  since  can- 
vassed. 

I shall  not  accurately  enter  upon  a discussion  of  the 
propriety  or  impropriety  of  your  resignation,  but  shall 
only,  as  an  affectionate  friend,  give  you  this  early  intelli- 
gence of  a number  of  facts,  which  will  enable  you  to  make 
a final  determination  of  the  matter. 

The  commissions  of  several,  enclosed  in  letters  of  less 
apparent  resentment  than  yours,  had  been  readily  admitted 
for  resignation.  Some  cutting  resolutions  had  been  made 
upon  the  insolent  passages  of  the  late  letters  of  ****** 
especially  upon  those  parts  which  called  for  stigmas  upon 
you  or  your  brother.  Immediately  your  letter  is  opened, 
and  by  your  friends  committed,  instead  of  the  resignation 
being  instantly  accepted,  a favorable  report  was  made, 
but  overruled  by  a motion  to  postpone  the  consideration. 
Upon  this  General  Gates  sent  in  a recommendatory  let- 
ter, explaining  the  circumstances  of  your  appointment. 
But  this  would  not  do.  Congress  is  greatly  piqued  at  the 
style  and  manner  of  your  demand,  in  a case  which  will 
now  appear  to  you  in  the  line  of  favor,  and  not  of  strict  right. 

You  are  to  know,  that  General  Gates’s  power  was  in 
Canada,  so  that  your  appointment,  before  his  entrance 
there,  was  not  strictly  proper.  Whether  your  first  com- 
mission was  dated  after  any  formal  debate  upon  the  point 
I cannot  say,  but  that  and  your  late  one  were  of  one  date, 
founded  on  your  nomination  in  Congress  I suppose. 

Every  member  is  entirely  willing  to  accord  you  a com- 
mission agreeable  to  the  date  you  expect,  but  they  are 
determined  to  lose  even  your  acknowledged  abilities,  if 
they  do  not  receive  a different  request  from  that  now 
before  them. 


44 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


You  were  certainly  unacquainted  with  the  criticisms 
which  may  take  place  as  to  Gen.  Gates’s  power  of  ap- 
pointment out  of  Canada.  You  were  also  unacquainted 
with  the  provocations  which  have  been  given  to  Congress 
for  attention  to  the  style  of  their  officers,  prior  to  the  receipt 
of  yours.  Gen.  Gates  is  attached  to  you — the  Congress 
admit  your  merit — and  while  they  are  disposed  to  give 
you  a rank  which  shall  save  you  from  all  appearance  of 
demerit,  they  think  that  you  yourself  will  judge  the  com- 
mission more  valuable  for  proceeding  from  a body  attentive 
to  their  own  honor. 

No  time  will  be  lost  by  this  accident,  if  you  determine 
to  procure  the  commission  by  th*e  method  which  I shall 
take  the  freedom  to  point  out,  because  you  may  go  on  to 
act  from  certainty  to  receive  it  by  the  first  opportunity 
after  your  letter  shall  arrive  here. 

To  the  Hon.  John  Hancock,  Esq.,  &c.  <fcc. 

Sir — Since  I addressed  a letter  to  your  honor  from 
Providence,  enclosing  my  commission,  I have  been  led  to 
find  that  I was  mistaken  in  the  apprehension  that  my  ap- 
pointment to  the  office  of  deputy  adjutant  general  on  the 
28th  of  June,  (from  which  time  I have  acted,)  was  so  much 
in  the  usual  manner,  as  to  render  the  commission  bearing 
an  after  date  a decisive  degradation,  when  compared  with 
the  usual  practice.  But  the  same  desire  of  serving  my 
country  in  the  most  effectual  manner,  which  has  governed 
my  actions  in  the  whole  course  of  my  adjutancy,  since 
the  day  of  my  first  appointment,  leads  me  to  be  anxious 
that  I ma}  not  be  under  any  appearance  of  disgrace  from 
any  circumstance  in  the  date  of  my  commission,  as  this 
would  lessen  my  most  vigorous  exertions ; therefore,  I 
entreat  that  your  honor  would  move  the  honorable  Con- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


45 


gress  to  favor  me  with  a commission  consonant  in  date  to 
my  appointment  by  Gen.  Gates.  Assuring  them  of  my 
zeal  for  the  service  of  the  United  States,  and  of  my  highest 
respect  for  their  body,  I am,  &c.  & c. 

I do  not  affect  to  point  out  a verbal  model  for  you ; it  is 
the  tenor  only ; with  something  similar  you  may  be  sure 
of  an  instant  compliance  here.  The  delay  therefore  de- 
pends on  yourself ; I hope  you  will  make  none, 

And  am,  &c.  &c.  J.  Lovell. 

To  this  I returned  the  following  answer. 

Lebanon,  March  30th,  1777. 

To  the  Hon.  James  Lovell,  Esq.,  &c.  &c. 

Sir — I was  yesterday  honored  by  the  receipt  of  your 
letter  of  the  22d  inst.  and  have  considered  its  contents. 

I acknowledge  the  kind  intentions  of  my  friends  in  hav- 
ing my  former  letter  committed,  and  shall  remember  the 
service  they  meant  to  do  me  with  gratitude ; but  I de- 
signed to  have  my  resignation  accepted,  nor  can  I consent 
to  the  method  which  they  propose  of  regaining  the  post 
which  I have  quitted. 

It  is  perhaps  true  that  my  appointment  by  Gen.  Gates 
was  not  strictly  proper ; but,  he  could  not  be  the  less  a 
judge  of  military  merit,  from  being  by  mere  accident  de- 
prived of  the  command  which  he  expected ; and  as  the 
office  in  question  in  the  northern  army  was  vacant,  and  no 
rival  to  my  pretensions  offered,  had  I not  good  ground  to 
expect  that  his  recommendation  would  still  be  attended 
to  1 and  was  it  not  a compliment  justly  due  to  him,  when 
Gen.  Schuyler,  our  proper  commanding  officer,  not  only 
made  no  objection  to  my  appointment,  but  even  wrote  in 
my  favor  1 


46 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


It  had  ever  been  the  custom  of  the  army,  to  date  com- 
missions from  the  day  on  which  the  offices  were  entered 
upon  by  the  appointment  or  recommendation  of  the 
general;  and  I had  no  reason  to  expect  that  I should 
be  the  person  in  whom  the  innovation  was  to  com- 
mence. 

Though  my  appointment  may  not  have  been  strictly 
valid,  yet  from  former  practice  in  similar  cases,  my  author- 
ity and  rank  had  been  admitted ; and  to  sink  under  the 
command  of  men  whose  superior  in  rank  I had  been 
acknowledged,  though  perhaps  not  established,  tasted 
indeed  too  loathsome  of  degradation. 

I can  see  nothing  in  my  former  letters  at  which  the 
honorable  Congress  can,  with  propriety,  take  umbrage. 
There  is  not  in  either  of  them,  a sentiment  or  a word 
of  disrespect  to  them ; there  is  not  a sentiment  or  word 
which  I wish  altered.  They  are  written  with  freedom — 
a freedom  which  it  would  illy  become  the  representatives 
of  a free  state  to  discourage.  Neither  can  I suppose  that 
any  preceding  insolence  of  other  men,  can  influence  so 
wise  a body  as  the  Congress  in  forming  their  judgment  of 
me,  or  (when  it  is  seen  that  there  is  no  expression  of 
designed  insult  or  disrespect  in  what  I wrote)  that  I shall 
be  condemned  for  the  sins  of  others. 

I have  never  asked  any  office  in  the  public  service, 
nor  will  I ever ; the  very  request  would  acknowledge  and 
prove  my  unworthiness.  If  my  services  have  not  ren- 
dered me  deserving  of  the  notice  of  my  country ; if  the 
manner  in  which  I discharged  the  duties  of  the  office 
which  I have  resigned,  did  not  entitle  me  to  the  commis- 
sion with  which  I expected  to  have  been  gratified, — surely 
my  request  cannot,  and  it  is  well  that  I have  ceased  to 
serve. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


47 


I forbear  to  say  any  thing  further  upon  a subject  now 
of  perfect  indifference  to  me,  and  will  only  add  my  sin- 
cere thanks  to  you  and  my  other  honorable  friends  in 
Congress,  for  having  interested  themselves  in  my  behalf 
on  this  occasion.  At  the  same  time  I regret  that  by  this 
means  the  appointment  of  a necessary  officer  has  been 
delayed ; since  I cannot  ask , and  therefore  do  not  expect, 
the  return  of  my  commission.  I am,  &c.  &,c. 

The  “ line  by  Mr.  Bates”  referred  to  in  the  foregoing 
letter  from  Mr.  Lovell,  did  not  come  to  my  hands  until 
that  had  been  received  and  answered.  The  difference 
of  style  deserves  to  be  remarked,  and  it  would  puzzle  a 
wise  man  to  account  for  it,  except  by  a whimsical  sick- 
liness of  pride,  which  we  would  not  willingly  have  sup- 
posed, could  have  influenced  so  respectable  and  wise  a 
body  as  Congress  were  believed  to  be  at  that  early  day. 

A copy  of  that  letter  follows. 

# 

Philadelphia,  March  16th,  1777. 

Col.  John  Trumbull, 

My  dear  sir— -I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  22d 
of  February,  and  though  aware  of  the  manly  sensibility 
which  governed  you  on  the  late  occasion,  yet  I am  sorry 
that  any  accident  should  have  given  you  this  particular 
occasion  of  showing  yourself  a man  of  spirited  honor. 

Your  character  is  unblemished  in  the  opinion  of  those 
who  should  have  forwarded  your  commission;  therefore 
I have  attributed  past  omissions  on  their  part  to  accident 
— I cannot  think  of  design — in  what  has  happened. 

I showed  your  letter  to  Gen.  Gates,  who  had  l)efore 
made  the  most  honorable  mention  of  you  to  me.  He 
will  not  do  without  you ; therefore,  if  the  proper  altera- 


48 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


tion  of  date  is  made,  I will  not  think  you  can  obstinately 
disappoint  his  hopes,  to  say  nothing  of  mine. 

Perhaps  before  I put  a wafer  to  this,  I may  have  a 
word  or  two  more  to  say  on  this  subject.  I took  up  my 
pen  to  prevent  missing  an  opportunity,  through  the  haste 
of  the  bearer,  of  assuring  you  of  the  esteem  of,  &c.  &c. 

J.  Lovell. 

In  explanation  of  this  singular  correspondence,  it  is 
proper  that  I should  add  the  following  anecdote. 

While  I was  in  General  Washington’s  family,  in  1775, 
Mr.  Hancock  made  a passing  visit  to  the  general,  and 
observing  me,  he  enquired  of  Mr.  Mifflin  who  I was,  and 
when  told  that  I was  his  fellow  aid-du-camp,  and  son  of 
Gov.  Trumbull,  he  made  the  unworthy  observation,  that 
“ that  family  teas  well  provided  for”  Mr.  Miftlin  did  not 
tell  me  this  until  after  he  (Mr.  Hancock)  had  left  head- 
quarters, but  then  observed  that  he  deserved  to  be  called 
to  an  account  for  it.  I answered,  “ No,  he  is  right ; my 
“father  and  his  three  sons  are  doubtless  well  provided 
“ for ; we  are  secure  of  four  halters,  if  we  do  not  succeed.” 
Gen.  Gates  was  intimate  with  Mifflin  and  knew  this  anec- 
dote at  the  time,  and  probably  had  mentioned  it  to  Mr. 
Lovell,  as  indicative  of  a spirit  of  ill  will  to  my  father  and 
his  family  which  might  have  caused  the  delay  and  neglect 
in  forwarding  my  commission,  and  hence  probably  the 
apologetic  paragraph  in  the  letter  “ by  Mr.  Bates.” 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


49 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Age,  21  to  24—1777  to  1780—3  years. 

Return  to  Lebanon,  and  to  painting ; after  some  time  to  Boston — Hire 
the  painting  room  built  by  Mr.  Smibert — In  it  find  some  of  his  works, 
of  great  use — No  one  in  Boston  capable  of  giving  me  instruction,  Mr. 
Copley  being  gone  to  Europe — Club  of  young  gentlemen  recently  from 
Harvard — Anecdote  of  Dr.  Korant,  an  ex-Jesuit  from  South  America 
— In  1778,  plan  for  recovering  possession  of  Rhode  Island,  by  a com- 
bined attack  by  a French  fleet  under  the  Count  D’Estaing,  and  an 
army  commanded  by  Gen.  Sullivan — Offer  my  services  to  the  general 
as  a volunteer  aid-du-camp — Result  of  the  well  planned  effort — Suc- 
cessful retreat  from  the  island,  very  highly  honorable  to  Gen.  Sullivan 
— Return  to  Boston,  fatigued  and  ill — Visit  from  Gov.  Hancock,  in 
the  highest  degree  gratifying — Resume  the  pencil — Friends  dissat- 
isfied with  my  pursuit — Finally  succeed  in  persuading  me  to  undertake 
a voyage  to  Europe,  and  the  conduct  of  a mercantile  speculation, 
which  (on  paper)  promised  a splendid  result — Acquaintance  in  Boston 
with  Mr.,  afterwards  Sir  John  Temple,  who  undertook  to  procure  for 
me  permission  from  the  British  government,  to  reside  in  London  for 
the  purpose  of  studying  painting  under  Mr.  West — Succeeded,  and 
before  I sailed  announced  to  me  his  success. 

List  of  drawings  and  paintings  executed  in  America,  before  I had 
received  any  instructions. 

Thus  ended  my  regular  military  service,  to  my  deep 
regret,  for  my  mind  was  at  this  time  full  of  lofty  military 
aspirations. 

I returned  to  Lebanon,  resumed  my  pencil,  and  after 
some  time  went  to  Boston,  where  I thought  I could 
pursue  my  studies  to  more  advantage.  There  I hired  the 
room  which  had  been  built  by  Mr.  Smibert,  the  patriarch 
of  painting  in  America,  and  found  in  it  several  copies  by 
him  from  celebrated  pictures  in  Europe,  which  were  very 

7 


50 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


useful  to  me,  especially  a copy  from  Vandyck’s  celebrated 
head  of  Cardinal  Bentivoglio, — one  from  the  continence 
of  Scipio,  by  Nicolo  Poussin,  and  one  which  I afterwards 
learned  to  be  from  the  Madonna  della  Sedia  by  Raphael. 
Mr.  Copley  was  gone  to  Europe,  and  there  remained  in 
Boston  no  artist  from  whom  I could  gain  oral  instruction  ; 
but  these  copies  supplied  the  place,  and  I made  some 
progress. 

At  this  period,  1777-8,  a club  was  formed  in  Boston 
of  young  men  fresh  from  college,  among  whose  members 
were  Rufus  King,  Christopher  Gore,  William  Eustis,  Royal 
Tyler,  Thomas  Dawes,  Aaron  Dexter,  &c.  &c., — men  who 
in  after  life  became  distinguished.  The  club  generally 
met  in  my  room,  regaled  themselves  with  a cup  of  tea 
instead  of  wine,  and  discussed  subjects  of  literature,  pol- 
itics and  war.  About  this  time  arrived  in  Boston  from 
South  America  a singular  person,  who  announced  himself 
as  Dr.  Korant ; his  complexion  was  unusually  dark,  coun- 
tenance serious,  manners  monastic,  but  evidently  a man 
of  extensive  learning,  speaking  several  modern  languages 
fluently — English  tolerably,  Spanish  in  perfection.  The 
society  of  the  Jesuits  had  been  recently  suppressed,  and 
the  general  impression  was,  that  Dr.  Korant  was  an  ex- 
Jesuit.  The  club  thought  that  the  society  of  such  a man 
was  worth  courting,  and  he  was  invited  to  our  meetings. 
After  we  had  become  acquainted,  one  of  our  members 
asked  the  doctor  what  he  thought  of  our  political  state. 
“ Gentlemen,  you  are  all  lately  from  college,  and  of  course 
“ you  remember  the  Latin  adage — Procul  a Jove , procul  a 
“ fulmine . I have  always  admired  that  proverb ; for  if 
“ at  any  time  the  thunderbolt  of  Jove  seemed  to  menace 
“ me,  I would  retire  to  a great  distance  and  be  safe  ; but 
“ you  seem  to  have  in  eyery  town  and  village,  a number 


LITE  OF  J O HIST  TRUMBULL. 


51 


“of  little  Joves,  each  armed  with  a little  thunderbolt, 
“ (committee  of  safety,)  which  though  less  terrible  than 
“ the  bolt  of  imperial  Jove,  are  each  of  them  sufficient  to 
“ destroy  the  peace  and  happiness  of  an  individual,  and  so 
“ numerous,  and  planted  over  all  the  country,  that  there  is 
“ no  possibility  of  escape.  I do  not  like  that.” 

The  war  was  a period  little  favorable  to  regular  study 
and  deliberate  pursuits;  mine  were  often  desultory.  A 
deep  and  settled  regret  of  the  military  career  from  which 
I had  been  driven,  and  to  which  there  appeared  to  be  no 
possibility  of  an  honorable  return,  preyed  upon  my  spirits ; 
and  the  sound  of  a drum  frequently  called  an  involuntary 
tear  to  my  eye. 

In  the  year  1778,  a plan  was  formed  for  the  recovery 
of  Rhode  Island  from  the  hands  of  the  British,  by  the 
cooperation  of  a French  fleet  of  twelve  sail  of  the  line, 
commanded  by  the  Count  D’Estaing,  and  a body  of 
American  troops,  commanded  by  General  Sullivan.  The 
fleet  arrived  off  New  York  early  in  July,  and  in  August 
sailed  for  Rhode  Island.  I seized  this  occasion  to  gratify 
my  slumbering  love  of  military  life,  and  offered  my  ser- 
vices to  General  Sullivan,  as  a volunteer  aid -du -camp. 
My  offer  was  accepted,  and  I attended  him  during  the 
enterprise. 

The  French  fleet,  which  had  passed  Newport,  and  lay 
at  anchor  above  the  town,  were  drawn  off  from  their  well 
selected  station  by  a clever  manoeuvre  of  Lord  Howe,  the 
very  day  after  the  American  army  had  landed  on  the 
island.  The  two  fleets  came  to  a partial  action  off  the 
capes  of  the  Chesapeake,  in  which  they  were  separated 
by  a severe  gale  of  wind  ; the  French,  more  damaged  by 
the  tempest  than  by  the  enemy,  put  into  Boston  to  refit, 
and  General  Sullivan  was  left  to  pursue  the  enterprise 


52 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


with  the  army  alone.  The  enemy  shut  themselves  up  in 
Newport,  while  he  advanced  to  the  town  in  admirable  order, 
and  the  place  was  invested  in  form. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  the  attempt  was  vain,  so 
long  as  the  enemy  could  receive  supplies  and  reinforce- 
ments by  water,  unmolested ; so  soon  as  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  the  French  fleet  would  not  resume  its  sta- 
tion, the  enterprise  was  abandoned — on  the  night  between 
the  28th  and  29th  of  August,  the  army  was  withdrawn,  and 
reoccupied  their  former  position  on  Butts’  Hill,  near  How- 
land’s ferry,  at  the  north  end  of  the  island. 

Soon  after  daybreak  the  next  morning,  the  rear-guard, 
commanded  by  that  excellent  officer,  Col.  Wigglesworth, 
was  attacked  on  Quaker,  otherwise  called  Windmill  Hill.; 
and  Gen.  Sullivan,  wishing  to  avoid  a serious  action  on 
that  ground,  sent  me  with  orders  to  the  commanding 
officer  to  withdraw  the  guard.  In  performing  this  duty, 
I had  to  mount  the  hill  by  a broad  smooth  road,  more 
than  a mile  in  length  from  the  foot  to  the  summit,  where 
was  the  scene  of  the  conflict,  which,  though  an  easy 
ascent,  was  yet  too  steep  for  a trot  or  a gallop.  It  was 
necessary  to  ride  at  a leisurely  pace,  for  I saw  before  me 
a hard  day’s  work  for  my  horse,  and  was  unwilling  to 
fatigue  him. 

Nothing  can  be  more  trying  to  the  nerves,  than  to 
advance  thus  deliberately  and  alone  into  danger.  At  first, 
I saw  a round  shot  or  two  drop  near  me  and  pass  bound- 
ing on.  Presently  I met  poor  Col.  Tousard,  who  had 
just  lost  one  arm,  blown  off  by  the  discharge  of  a field 
piece,  for  the  possession  of  which  there  was  an  ardent 
struggle.  He  was  led  off  by  a small  party.  Soon  after, 
I saw  Capt.  Walker,  of  H.  Jackson’s  regiment,  who  had 
received  a musket  ball  through  his  body,  mounted  behind 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


53 


a person  on  horseback.  He  bid  me  a melancholy  fare- 
well, and  died  before  night.  Next,  grape  shot  began  to 
sprinkle  around  me,  and  soon  after  musket  balls  fell  in  my 
path  like  hailstones.  This  was  not  to  be  borne, — I 
spurred  on  my  horse  to  the  summit  of  the  hill,  and  found 
myself  in  the  midst  of  the  melee.  “ Don’t  say  a word, 
“ Trumbull,”  cried  the  gallant  commander,  “ I know  your 
“ errand,  but  don’t  speak ; we  will  beat  them  in  a mo- 
“ ment.”  “ Col.  Wigglesworth,  do  you  see  those  troops 
“ crossing  obliquely  from  the  west  road  towards  your 
“rear?”  “Yes,  they  are  Americans,  coming  to  our  sup- 
“ port.”  “ No,  sir,  those  are  Germans  ; mark,  their  dress 
“ is  blue  and  yellow , not  buff ; they  are  moving  to  fall  into 
“ your  rear,  and  intercept  your  retreat.  Retire  instantly — 
“ don’t  lose  a moment,  or  you  will  be  cut  off.”  The  gal- 
lant man  obeyed  reluctantly,  and  withdrew  the  guard  in 
fine  style,  slowly  but  safely.  (See  letter  of  General  Mat- 
toon  in  the  Appendix.) 

As  I rode  back  to  the  main  body  on  Butts’  Hill,  I fell 
in  with  a party  of  soldiers  bearing  a wounded  officer  on  a 
litter,  whom  I found  to  be  my  friend,  H.  Sherburne,  brother 
of  Mrs.  John  Langdon  of  Portsmouth,  New 'Hampshire, 
a fellow  volunteer.  They  were  carrying  him  to  the  sur- 
geons in  the  rear,  to  have  his  leg  amputated.  He  had 
just  been  wounded  by  a random  ball  while  sitting  at 
breakfast.  This  was  a source  of  lasting  mortification,  as 
he  told  me  afterwards, — “If  this  had  happened  to  me 
“ in  the  field,  in  active  duty,  the  loss  of  a leg  might  be 
“ borne,  but  to  be  condemned  through  all  future  life  to 
“ say  I lost  my  leg  under  the  breakfast  table,  is  too  bad.” 
Mr.  Rufus  King  was  acting  that  day  as  a volunteer  aid- 
du-camp  to  General  Glover,  whose  quarters  were  in  a 
house  at  the  foot  and  east  of  Quaker  Hill,  distant  from 


54 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


the  contested  position  of  the  rear-guard  a long  mile.  The 
general  and  the  officers  who  composed  his  family  were 
seated  at  breakfast,  their  horses  standing  saddled  at  the 
door.  The  firing  on  the  height  of  the  hill  became  heavy 
and  incessant,  when  the  general  directed  Mr.  King  to 
mount  and  see  what  and  where  the  firing  was.  He 
quitted  the  table,  poor  Sherburne  took  his  chair,  and  was 
hardly  seated,  when  a spent  cannon  ball  from  the  scene 
of  action  bounded  in  at  the  open  window,  fell  upon  the 
floor,  rolled  to  its  destination,  the  ancle  of  Sherburne, 
and  crushed  all  the  bones  of  his  foot.  Surely  there  is 
a providence  which  controls  the  events  of  human  life, 
and  which  withdrew  Mr.  King  from  this  misfortune. 

Soon  after  this,  as  I wTas  carrying  an  important  order, 
the  wind,  which  had  risen  with  the  sun,  blew  off  my  hat. 
It  was  not  a time  to  dismount  for  a hat.  I therefore  tied 
a white  handkerchief  round  my  head,  and  as  I did  not 
recover  my  hat  until  evening,  I formed,  the  rest  of  the 
day,  the  most  conspicuous  mark  that  ever  was  seen  on 
the  field — mounted  on  a superb  bay  horse,  in  a summer 
dress  of  nankeen — with  this  head-dress,  duty  led  me 
to  every  point  where  danger  was  to  be  found,  and  I 
escaped  without  the  slightest  injury.  It  becomes  me  to 
say  with  the  Psalmist,  “I  thank  thee,  Oh  thou  Most 
“High,  for  thou  hast  covered  my  head  in  the  day  of 
“ battle !”  For  never  was  aid-du-camp  exposed  to  more 
danger  than  I was  during  that  entire  day,  from  daylight 
to  dusk. 

The  day  was  passed  in  skirmishing,  and  towards  even- 
ing a body  of  the  enemy  (Germans)  had  pushed  our  right 
wing,  and  advanced  so  far  as  to  endanger  themselves.  I 
was'  ordered  to  take  Gen.  Lovell’s  brigade  of  Massachu- 
setts militia,  and  aid  in  repulsing  them ; this  brigade  was 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


55 


very  much  weakened  by  the  withdrawal  of  many  officers 
and  men,  in  consequence  of  the  army  having  been  left  by 
the  French  fleet.  For  this  reason  I drew  up  the  brigade 
in  line,  and  disregarding  their  original  distinctions  of  regi- 
ments and  companies,  told  them  off  into  ten  divisions; 
assigned  their  officers  among  them,  wheeled  them  off 
into  column,  and  advanced  toward  the  scene  of  action, 
intending  to  pass  beyond  the  enemy’s  flank,  and  to  attack 
his  rear.  As  we  advanced,  the  noise  of  the  conflict 
seemed  to  retire,  until  we  approached  a small  wood 
skirting  the  open  fields,  which  lay  in  the  direction  of  our 
march.  This  wood  was  occupied  by  a party  of  the 
enemy,  whom  it  concealed  from  our  view,  while  the  fire 
which  they  opened  upon  us  as  we  advanced,  marked  their 
position.  As  was  common  they  fired  too  high,  and  their 
shot  passed  over  our  heads,  doing  no  harm.  In  front  of 
the  wood,  at  a distance  of  thirty  or  forty  yards,  ran  a 
strong  stone  fence,  such  as  are  common  in  Rhode  Island. 
Generally,  on  such  an  occasion,  this  fence  would  have 
been  made  use  of  as  a breastwork  to  protect  us  from  the 
enemy’s  fire;  but  as  my  men  had  hitherto  kept  their 
order  perfectly,  and  seemed  to  be  in  no  degree  discon- 
certed by  the  sound  of  the  balls,  which  whistled  over  their 
heads,  (perhaps  they  did  not  understand  it,)  I became 
elated  with  the  hope  of  doing  something  uncommon,  and 
therefore  determined  not  to  make  use  of  this  wall  for 
defense,  but  to  attack.  For  this  purpose  it  was  neces- 
sary to  remove  such  an  obstacle,  for  in  attempting  to 
climb  over  it  all  order  would  infallibly  be  lost.  I there- 
fore moved  on  until  the  front  division  of  the  column  was 
within  ten  yards  of  the  wall,  and  then  gave  the  word  of 
command  as  if  on  parade,  “ Column,  halt — leading  division, 
“ground  your  arms — step  forward,  comrades,  and  level 


56 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ this  fence,  it  stands  in  our  way — quick,  quick !”  The 
order  was  obeyed  with  precision ; the  fence  was  leveled 
in  an  instant,  and  we  resumed  our  forward  march  without 
having  a man  hurt.  From  that  moment  the  firing  from 
the  wood  ceased,  and  we  could  find  no  enemy ; they  had 
been  already  engaged  with,  and  overmatched  by  other 
troops,  before  wre  approached,  and  when  they  saw  our 
cool  manoeuvre,  they  probably  mistook  us  for  veterans 
coming  to  the  rescue,  and  prudently  withdrew. 

Still  I hoped  to  be  afije  to  strike  an  important  blow, 
and  requested  General  Lovell  to  incline  his  march  to  the 
right,  (by  which  means  his  movement  would  be  screened 
from  the  view  of  the  enemy  by  the  form  of  the  ground,) 
to  move  slowly  and  carefully,  and  to  keep  the  men  together 
in  their  actual  order.  I rode  forward  to  reconnoitre  and 
ascertain  the  position  of  the  enemy.  As  I rose  the  crest 
of  the  hill,  I saw  the  German  troops,  who  had  just  been 
repulsed,  in  evident  disorder,  endeavoring  to  re-form  their 
line,  but  fatigued,  disconcerted  and  vacillating.  I thought 
it  a glorious  moment,  and  hurried  back  to  my  brave 
column  with  the  intention  of  leading  it  (under  cover  of 
the  ground)  into  the  rear  of  the  enemy’s  flank.  Judge  of 
my  vexation,  when  I found  my  men,  not  in  slow  motion 
and  good  order,  as  I had  directed,  but  halted  behind 
another  strong  fence,  dispersed,  without  the  shadow  of 
order,  their  arms  grounded,  or  leaning  against  the  fence, 
exulting  in  their  good  conduct  and  success  in  having  made 
the  enemy  run.  I was  cruelly  disappointed ; but  as  the 
success  of  the  blow  which  I had  meditated  depended 
entirely  upon  rapidity  of  movement,  and  much  time  must 
be  wasted  before  we  could  recover  our  original  order  and 
be  prepared  to  move,  I gave  up  my  projected  attack,  and 
returned  to  make  my  report  to  my  general. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


57 


The  next  day  the  army  kept  their  ground  on  Butts’ 
Hill,  collected  our  wounded,  buried  the  dead,  and  while 
we  made  a show  of  intending  to  maintain  our  position, 
were  really  busied  in  preparing  for  a retreat,  which  was 
effected  during  the  following  night,  by  transporting  the 
whole  in  boats,  across  Howland’s  ferry  to  Tiverton,  with- 
out the  loss  of  a man,  or  of  the  smallest  article  of  stores. 

The  entire  conduct  of  this  expedition,  and  of  this 
retreat,  (as  well  as  of  that  from  Canada,)  was  in  the  high- 
est degree  honorable  to  General  Sullivan. 

As  soon  as  we  had  left  the  island,  I took  leave  of  my 
general,  sent  my  servant  back  to  Lebanon,  with  a descrip- 
tive letter  to  my  father,  a drawing  of  the  field,  and  the 
sword  which  I had  taken  from  its  owner,  a German  sub- 
ofiicer,  my  trophy  of  the  action ; and  then  took  my  own 
course  to  Boston,  where  I arrived  on  the  second  day, 
with  strong  symptoms  of  severe  indisposition.  Excite- 
ment of  mind  and  fatigue  of  body  had  quite  overpowered 
and  prostrated  my  strength;  I immediately  took  some 
cooling  medicine  and  went  to  bed.  Before  I rose  next 
morning,  a visit  from  Governor  Hancock  was  announced. 
He  followed  the  servant  to  my  bedside,  and  with  great 
kindness  insisted  that  I should  be  removed  to  his  house 
immediately,  where,  if  my  illness  should  become  serious, 
I could  be  more  carefully  attended  than  was  possible  in  a 
boarding-house.  I made  light  of  my  illness,  and  with 
many  thanks  declined  his  pressing  invitation.  But  it  was 
a proud  and  consoling  reflection,  that  he  who  had  been 
president  of  Congress  at  the  time  of  my  resignation,  and 
who  had  both  signed  and  forwarded  the  misdated  com- 
mission which  had  driven  me  from  the  service,  had  now 
witnessed  my  military  conduct,  and  seen  that  I was  not 
a man  to  ask , but  to  earn  distinction. 

8 


58 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


I soon  recovered,  and  resumed  the  pencil,  pursuing  the 
study  of  painting  with  great  assiduity  during  the  following 
year.  My  friends,  however,  were  not  satisfied  with  my 
pursuit,  and  at  length  succeeded  in  persuading  me  to 
undertake  the  management  of  a considerable  speculation, 
which  required  a voyage  to  Europe,  and  promised  (upon 
paper)  great  results.  They  were  to  furnish  funds,  I to 
execute  the  plan,  and  share  with  them  the  expected 
profits.  Accordingly,  in  the  autumn  of  1779,  I gave  up 
my  studies  in  Boston,  and  returned  to  my  father’s  house 
in  Lebanon,  to  prepare  for  the  voyage. 

During  this  residence  in  Boston,  I became  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Temple,  afterwards  Sir  John,  and  consul  general 
of  Great  Britain  in  New  York.  He  was  married  in  Bos- 
ton to  a daughter  of  Gov.  Bowdoin,  and  had  also  high 
connexions  in  England.  He  seemed  to  be  regarded  by 
both  parties  as  a neutral  person,  and  was  occasionally 
permitted  to  pass  from  one  to  the  other.  He  was  ac- 
quainted with  Mr.  West  in  London,  and  strongly  urged 
me  to  go  there  and  study  with  him.  Connected  as  I 
was,  and  personally  hostile  as  my  conduct  had  been,  I 
did  not  believe  that  this  could  be  done  with  safety,  during 
the  war ; but  Mr.  Temple  was  confident,  that  through 
the  influence  of  his  friends  in  London,  he  could  obtain 
permission  for  me  from  the  British  government.  He  soon 
after  went  to  London,  and  before  I was  ready  to  embark 
on  my  commercial  pursuit,  I received  information  from 
him,  that  he  had  seen  Lord  George  Germaine,  the  British 
secretary  of  state — had  represented  to  him  my  wish  to 
study  painting  under  Mr.  West — had  explained  my  con- 
nexions, my  past  military  pursuits,  &c.,  concealing  noth- 
ing— and  had  received  for  answer,  “ that  if  I chose  to  visit 
“ London  for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  fine  arts,  no 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


59 


“ notice  would  be  taken  by  the  government  of  my  past 
“ life ; but  that  I must  remember  that  the  eye  of  precau- 
“ tion  would  be  constantly  upon  me,  and  I must  therefore 
“avoid  the  smallest  indiscretion, — but  that  so  long  as  I 
“ avoided  all  political  intervention,  and  pursued  the  study 
“of  the  arts  with  assiduity,  I might  rely  upon  being 
“ unmolested.” 

Thus,  in  the  event  of  failure  of  my  mercantile  project, 
the  road  was  open  for  pursuing  my  study  of  the  arts,  with 
increased  advantages. 

The  following  is  a list  of  drawings  and  pictures  exe- 
cuted before  my  first  voyage  to  Europe,  and  before  I had 
received  any  instruction  other  than  was  obtained  from 
books. 

1.  A head  of  General  Wolfe,  from  an  engraving  in  the  Gen- 
tleman’s Magazine. 

2.  Fire-works  in  London,  on  the  occasion  of  the  peace  of  Aix 
la  Chapelle,  in  1748  ; copied  in  Indian  ink,  from  an  engraving, 
A.  D.  1770,  aetat.  14. 

3.  Yiew  of  part  of  the  city  of  Rome. 

4.  The  Virginia  water,  in  Windsor  Park. 

5.  The  Crucifixion  of  our  Savior. 

6.  The  family  arms — first  attempt  in  oil  colors — age  15. 

7.  Ruins  of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun,  &c.,  Palmyra,  from 
an  engraving  in  the  Gentleman’s  Magazine;  given  to  Master 
Tisdale. — The  preceding  were  done  at  Lebanon,  before  going 
to  college. 

8.  The  Crucifixion,  in  water  colors,  from  a print  by  Rubens. 

9.  Portrait  of  Dr.  and  President  Holyoke,  from  one  of  Mr. 
Copley’s  pictures ; given  to  Mrs.  Kneeland,  his  daughter. 

10  to  15.  Six  small  portraits  of  eminent  men,  Newton,  Locke, 
&c.  &c. ; given  to  Mr.  Isaiah  Doane. 

16.  Britannia,  in  Indian  ink;  given  to  Theo.  Parsons. 


60 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


17.  Eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius,  small,  water  colors,  on  vel- 
lum ; copied  from  the  Italian  picture  in  the  philosophical  lecture 
room,  and  given  to  Professor  Winthrop. 

18.  The  same  in  oil,  size  of  the  original. 

19.  Miniature  of  Rubens;  given  to  Mr.  F.  Borland. 

20.  Abraham’s  servant  meeting  Rebekah  at  the  well,  sur- 
rounded by  her  damsels ; copied  in  oil  from  an  engraving  after 
the  picture  by  Noel  Coypel,  in  the  library  of  Harvard  College, 
same  size  as  the  engraving ; in  possession  of  Daniel  Wadsworth, 
Esq.,  of  Hartford. — These  at  Cambridge. 

21.  Death  of  Paulus  Emilius  at  the  battle  of  Cannae,  my  first 
attempt  at  composition,  many  figures ; done  at  Lebanon  in  oil, 
1774,  age  18 ; now  in  the  Gallery  at  New  Haven. 

22.  Portraits  of  my  father  and  mother,  heads  in  oval  spaces, 
surrounded  by  ornamental  work,  from  Houbraken’s  heads — 
Justice  and  Piety,  &c. ; in  possession  of  Professor  Silliman. 

23.  Brutus  condemning  his  Sons — original  design,  at  Lebanon, 
1777 ; given  to  my  eldest  brother — perhaps  at  Windham,  in  the 
possession  of  the  relatives  of  his  wife,  Miss  Dyer. 

24.  Portrait  of  my  brother  David,  a small  whole  length, 
standing  in  a landscape,  1777 ; in  possession  of  his  widow  at 
Lebanon. 

25.  Crucifixion,  a small  single  figure. 

26.  Head  of  myself,  half  size ; given  to  my  sister,  the  late  Mrs. 
Williams. 

27.  Portrait  of  Maj.  Gen.  Jabez  Huntington  of  the  militia, 
whole  length,  half  size  of  life,  1777 ; possession  of  his  family. 

28.  Portraits  of  my  brother  Jonathan,  his  wife  and  daughter — 
group,  heads  size  of  life,  1777 ; in  possession  of  Professor  Sil- 
liman. 

29.  Portrait  of  myself,  head  size  of  life. 

30.  Brutus  and  his  friends,  at  the  death  of  Lucretia — half 
length,  reversed ; copied  in  part  from  a print  after  Gavin  Ham- 
ilton, partly  original,  1777;  in  possession  of  Peter  Lanman,  Esq., 
Norwich. 

31.  Elisha  restoring  the  Shunamite’s  son,  on  a half  length 
cloth  ; in  possession  of  Joseph  Trumbull,  Esq.,  of  Hartford. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


61 


32.  Portrait  of  Elisha  Williams,  head  the  size  of  life. 

33.  Portraits  of  my  parents — group,  size  of  life,  on  a half 
length  cloth  reversed ; my  father  dressed  in  a blue  damask  night 
gown  ; in  possession  of  Joseph  Trumbull,  Esq.,  Hartford. 

34.  Portrait  of  Major  Roger  Alden,  small  head — not  bad. 

35.  Portrait  of  my  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Amelia  Trumbull,  widow 
of  my  eldest  and  favorite  brother. 

36.  Portrait  of  Jabez  Huntington,  Jr. — These  at  Lebanon. 

37.  Head  of  Cardinal  Bentivoglio  ; copied  from  Smibert’s  copy 
of  Yandyck’s  celebrated  portrait  in  the  Florence  Gallery. 

38.  Heads  of  two  boys,  (Charles  and  James  2d,)  copied  from 
Smibert’s  copy  of  Yandyck’s  beautiful  picture. 

39.  Head  of  Dr.  Franklin — a fur  cap — from  a French  print. 

40.  Head  of  James  Wilkinson,  small. 

41.  Head  of  Mr.  Edward  Gray,  size  of  life. 

42.  Head  of  Mrs.  Edward  Gray,  size  of  life. 

43.  Head  of  Mr.  Cutler,  small. 

44.  A Nun  by  candlelight ; copy. 

45.  The  Continence  of  Scipio ; copied,  with  essential  varia- 
tions, from  Mr.  Smibert’s  copy  of  N.  Poussin ; at  Mr.  Wads- 
worth’s, Hartford,  in  perfect  preservation. 

46.  St.  Paul  preaching  at  Athens ; a drawing  in  Indian  ink. 

47.  Half  length  portrait  of  Washington ; copy  from  Peale. 

48.  Landscape,  from  a print  after  Salvator  Rosa  j in  possession 
of  Joseph  Trumbull,  at  Hartford. 

copied  from  pictures  in  possession  of 


51.  Portrait  of  Mr.  Ben.  Call, — head  size  of  life. 

52.  Portrait  of  my  eldest  brother  Joseph,  from  memory , after 
his  death  ; half  length,  size  of  life. — These  at  Boston. 

53.  Col.  Wm.  Williams,  > headg> 

54.  Mrs.  Williams,  my  sister,  5 

55.  A Monk  at  his  Devotion,  by  lamplight ; copy. 

56.  Copy  of  52,  for  his  widow,  my  sister-in-law. 

57.  Gen.  Washington,  half  length,  from  memory. 

58.  A Madonna ; copy. — These  at  Lebanon,  1778. 


Gov.  Hancock. 


62 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


59.  Miss  P.  Sheaffe,  " 

60.  Miss  A.  Sheaffe,  small  heads,  from  life,  on  oval  plates 

61.  Miss  S.  Apthorp,  f of  copper;  given  to  Mrs.  Sheaffe. 

62.  Myself. 

63.  Belisarius,  date  obolem , the  principal  figure  copied  from 
Strange’s  engraving,  after  Salvator  Rosa ; several  figures  of  Ro- 
man soldiers,  ruins,  &c.  added, — on  a half  length  cloth ; in  pos- 
session of  Joseph  Trumbull,  Esq.  at  Hartford — good. 

64.  Landscape,  sunset ; composition,  as  companion  for  48  ; 
possession  of  Joseph  Trumbull,  Esq.  Hartford — not  bad. 

65.  Portrait  of  Benj.  Hitchburn,  half  length — not  bad. 

66.  Portrait  of  Thomas  Dawes,  head — very  respectable. 

67.  Head  of  Royal  Tyler,  with  both  hands — a respectable 
portrait. 

68.  The  Dying  Mother  and  Infant,  an  abortive  attempt  at  the 
celebrated  Greek  story, — the  mother,  mortally  wounded,  repel- 
ling the  child  from  her  bosom,  lest  he  should  drink  her  blood. — 
These  at  Boston,  1779. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


63 


CHAPTER  V. 

Age,  24  to  2S-1780  to  1781—1  year. 

Embark  at  New  London  for  Europe,  in  May,  1780,  on  board  a French 
ship  bound  to  Nantes  in  France — Arrive  on  the  coast — Enter  the 
Loire — Journey  up  that  beautiful  river  to  Paris — Meet  bad  news,  fatal  to 
my  commercial  speculation — Stay  in  Paris  short — Know  Dr.  Franklin 
and  his  grandson  Temple,  Mr.  Adams,  Senr.,  and  his  son  John  Quincy, 
Mr.  Strange,  the  celebrated  engraver,  and  bis  lady,  Mrs.  Strange — Re- 
{ solved  to  proceed  to  London  and  study  und,er  Mr.  West — Procure  a let- 
ter to  him  from  Dr.  Franklin — Set  off  for  London  through  France  and 
Flanders — Arrived — Delivered  my  letter  and  was  very  kindly  re- 
ceived— Copied  at  his  house  the  Madonna  della  Sedia  of  Raphael — 
Was  commended  and  encouraged  to  pursue  the  study — Commenced  a 
copy  of  the  St.  Jerome  by  Correggio  at  Parma — Interrupted — News 
arrives  of  the  death  of  Major  Andre —Arrested  on  the  charge  of  high 
treason  as  a pendant  for  him — Conveyed  to  prison — Examined — Com- 
mitted to  the  prison  called  Toth  ill-fields  Bridewell — Very  civilly  treat- 
ed, but  carefully  guarded. 

I embarked  at  New  London  about  the  middle  of  May, 
1780,  on  board  a French  ship  (La  Negresse)  of  twenty- 
eight  guns,  bound  to  Nantes.  She  was  an  armed  mer- 
chant ship  from  Hispaniola,  which  had  been  driven  into 
New  London  by  stress  of  weather,  and  having  repaired 
her  damages,  now  sailed  for  her  original  destination,  hav- 
ing on  board  a valuable  cargo  of  sugar  and  coffee.  The 
Trumbull  frigate  got  under  weigh  with  her,  and  kept 
company  for  three  days,  until  she  was  clear  of  the  coast, 
and  out  of  the  usual  track  of  the  English  cruisers.  I had 
one  fellow  passenger,  Major  Tyler  of  Boston,  who  like 
myself  had  been  an  officer  in  the  American  army,  and 
took  this  voyage  for  the  purpose  of  settling  some  mer- 
cantile concern  of  his  father,  who  was  lately  dead. 


v 


64 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Our  passage  was  pleasant ; we  met  neither  enemy  nor 
accident,  and  in  about  five  weeks  saw  the  coast  of  Eu- 
rope. As  we  approached,  a lofty  wall  of  rock  rose  before 
us,  and  the  officers  of  the  ship  (who  did  not  know  the 
coast)  were  extremely  anxious  until  we  got  a pilot  on 
board.  He  steered  directly  for  the  reef,  which  was  tre- 
mendous, and  appeared  to  have  no  opening ; an  opening 
there  was,  however,  for  which  the  pilot  directed  our 
course,  and  which  we  at  length  saw,  in  appearance  not 
wider  than  the  ship.  Tffe  officers,  crew  and  passengers 
were  breathless  as  we  approached  the  reef,  the  rocks  com- 
posing which  were,  in  parts,  as  high  as  the  ship’s  masts, 
and  on  which  the  waves  of  the  Atlantic  beat  with  fury. 
With  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow,  the  ship  shot  through  the 
opening,  which  as  we  passed,  did  not  appear  to  be  much 
wider  than  her  main  studding-sail  booms ; and  in  an 
instant  we  found  ourselves  in  an  extensive  basin,  calm 
as  a mill-pond  ; it  was  a part  of  Quiberon  bay.  The  old 
pilot  turned  proudly  to  the  captain,  and  said,  “ Mon  capi- 
“ taine , vous  voila  en  surete  ; les  Jlnglois  ne  vous  trouve- 
“ ront  jamois  igi”  (Captain,  here  you  are  safe;  the  En- 
glish will  never  find  you  here.) 

As  we  stood  across  the  bay  towards  the  entrance  of 
the  beautiful  Loire,  and  approached  the  land,  I was  very 
much  struck  with  the  total  dissimilitude  to  the  shores  of 
America ; there  all  is  new,  here  all  things  bore  marks  of 
age ; the  coast  was  lofty,  the  very  rocks  looked  old  ; and 
the  first  distinct  object,  was  an  extensive  convent,  whose 
heavy  walls  of  stone  seemed  gray  with  age,  and  were 
surrounded  by  a noble  grove  of  chestnut  trees,  appa- 
rently coeval  with  the  building.  We  soon  entered  the 
river,  and  the  next  day  we  landed  at  Nantes.  Here  all 
was  indeed  new — a city  built  with  white  stone — some 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


65 


imposing  remains  of  ancient  Roman,  architecture — a sea- 
port of  great  bustle  and  activity — and  a people  whose 
appearance,  manners  and  language,  were  entirely  strange. 
I had  flattered  myself  that  I knew  something  of  the  French 
language,  but  I here  found  that  the  language  of  books 
and  of  educated  people  was  not  that  of  the  market,  or 
the  port,  especially  at  Nantes,  where  all  partook  largely 
of  the  patois  of  Brettany.  Mr.  Tyler  and  myself  remained 
here  two  or  three  days  only,  and  then  set  off  in  company 
for  Paris  en  poste.  He  knew  not  a word  of  the  language, 
and  I had  the  sole  management  of  the  journey,  which  lay 
upon  the  beautiful  banks  of  the  Loire,  and  led  us  through 
Angers,  Tours,  Blois  and  Orleans,  to  Paris.  Here  bad 
news  met  us.  Charleston  in  South  Carolina  was  taken, 
and  the  British  were  overrunning  the  southern  states,  almost 
without  opposition. 

This  news  was  a coup  de  grace  to  my  commercial  pro- 
ject, for  my  funds  consisted  in  public  securities  of  Con- 
gress, the  value  of  which  was  annihilated  by  adversity. 
The  study  of  the  arts  remained  as  a last  resort,  and  I 
resolved  to  go  to  London,  and  there  wait  a possible 
change.  I therefore  remained  but  a short  time  in  Paris, 
where  I knew  few  except  Dr.  Franklin,  and  his  grandson, 
Temple  Franklin ; John  Adams,  and  his  son,  John  Q., 
then  a boy  at  school,  of  fourteen ; and  Mr.  Strange,  the 
eminent  engraver,  and  his  lady.  As  I was  sitting  one 
morning  with  Mrs.  Strange,  a fashionable  old  French  lady 
came  in  to  make  her  a visit.  She  was  splendidly  dressed, 
but  her  face  was  very  brown  and  wrinkled,  with  a spot 
of  bright  red  paint,  about  the  size  of  a dollar,  on  the 
centre  of  each  cheek,  then  the  indispensable  mark  of  a 
married  lady.  With  difficulty  I suppressed  the  desire  to 
laugh,  which  convulsed  me ; Mrs.  S.  observed  it,  and 

9 


66 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


when  her  visitor  was  gone,  gravely  asked  me  what  so 
much  amused  me.  “ My  dear  madam,  to  see  how  very 
“ strangely  extremes  meet.  In  my  own  country,  I have 
“ often  seen  a squaw,  dressed  in  finery — old,  dusky, 
“ wrinkled — with  a dab  of  pure  Vermillion  on  each  cheek, 
“ and  little  thought  that  the  poor  old  savage  was  dressed 
“ in  the  height  of  Parisian  fashion.” 

Having  obtained  from  Dr.  Franklin  a line  of  introduc- 
tion to  Mr.  West,  I set  off  for  London,  travelling  through 
Peronne,  Cambray,  Lisle',  &c.  to  Ostend,  and  there  em- 
barked for  Deal,  (which  was  then  the  regular  packet  com- 
munication between  England  and  the  continent.)  Arrived 
in  London,  I took  lodgings  near  the  Adelphi,  and  sent  im- 
mediate notice  of  my  arrival  to  my  friend  Mr.  Temple, 
whose  address  I knew ; by  him  the  secretary  of  state 
was  informed  of  my  residence.  The  next  morning  infor- 
mation to  the  same  effect  was  lodged  at  the  secretary’s 
office,  by  a committee  of  American  loyalists,  who  thought 
they  were  doing  the  state  some  service;  but  they  received 
the  incomprehensible  rebuke,  “You  are  late,  gentlemen  ; 
“ Mr.  Trumbull  arrived  yesterday  at  three  o’clock,  and 
“ I knew  it  at  four.  My  eye  is  upon  him,  but  I must 
“ observe  to  you,  that  so  long  as  he  shall  attend  closely 
“ to  the  object  of  his  pursuit,  it  is  not  the  intention  of 
“ government  that  he  shall  be  interrupted.” 

I presented  the  letter  of  Dr.  Franklin  to  Mr.  West,  and 
of  course  was  most  kindly  received.  His  first  question 
was,  whether  I had  brought  with  me  any  specimen  of 
my  work,  by  which  he  could  judge  of  my  talent,  and  the 
progress  I had  made ; and  when  I answered  that  I had 
not,  he  said,  “Then  look  around  the  room,  and  see  if 
“ there  is  any  thing  which  you  would  like  to  copy.”  I 
did  so,  and  from  the  many  which  adorned  his  painting- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


67 


room,  I selected  a beautiful  small  round  picture  of  a 
mother  and  two  children.  Mr.  West  looked  keenly  at 
me,  and  asked,  “ Do  you  know  what  you  have  chosen  ?” 
“ No,  sir.”  “ That,  Mr.  Trumbull,  is  called  the  Madonna 
“ della  Sedia,  the  Madonna  of  the  chair,  one  of  the  most 
“ admired  works  of  Raphael ; the  selection  of  such  a work 
“ is  a good  omen ; in  an  adjoining  room  I will  introduce 
“you  to  a young  countryman  of  ours  who  is  studying 
“ with  me — he  will  shew  you  where  to  find  the  necessary 
“ colors,  tools,  &,c.,  and  you  will  make  your  copy  in  the 
“ same  room.”  Here  began  my  acquaintance  with  Mr. 
Stuart,  who  was  afterwards  so  celebrated  for  his  admirable 
portraits.  With  his  assistance  I prepared  my  materials, 
and  proceeded  to  my  work.  When  Mr.  West  afterwards 
came  into  the  room,  to  see  how  I went  on,  he  found  me 
commencing  my  outline  without  the  usual  aid  of  squares. 
“ Do  you  expect  to  get  a correct  outline  by  your  eye 
“only?”  “Yes,  sir;  at  least  I mean  to  try.”  “I  wish 
“ you  success.”  His  curiosity  was  excited,  and  he  made 
a visit  daily,  to  mark  my  progress,  but  forbore  to  offer  me 
any  advice  or  instruction.  When  the  copy  was  finished, 
and  he  had  carefully  examined  and  compared  it,  he  said, 
“ Mr.  Trumbull,  I have  now  no  hesitation  to  say  that 
“nature  intended  you  for  a painter.  You  possess  the 
“ essential  qualities ; nothing  more  is  necessary,  but  careful 
“ and  assiduous  cultivation.”  With  this  stimulant,  I de- 
voted myself  assiduously  to  the  study  of  the  art,  allow- 
ing little  time  to  make  myself  acquainted  with  the  curi- 
osities and  amusements  of  the  city. 

At  the  close  of  Mr.  West’s  residence  in  Italy,  in  1762, 
he  stopped  at  Parma  long  enough  to  make  a small  copy 
of  the  celebrated  picture  by  Correggio,  called  the  St. 
Jerome  of  Parma,  which  is  universally  regarded  as  one 


68 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


of  the  three  most  perfect  works  of  art  in  existence.  I 
have  since  seen  several  copies,  by  eminent  men ; one  by 
Annibal  Caracci,  in  the  collection  of  the  marquis  of 
Stafford;  another  by  Mengs,  in  the  possession  of  the 
widow  of  the  well  known  Mr.  Webb,  at  Bath;  and  in 
1797,  I saw  the  original  in  the  Louvre  at  Paris,  and  have 
no  hesitation  to  give  it  as  my  opinion,  that  Mr.  West’s 
copy  approaches  much  nearer  to  the  exquisite  delicacy  of 
expression  and  harmony  of  clair-obscure  of  the  original, 
than  any  other  I have  seen.  I cannot  compare  the  color, 
for  when  I saw  the  original  it  was  in  a room  adjoining 
the  gallery  of  the  Louvre,  under  the  hands  of  some 
mender  of  pictures,  who  deserves  to  be  flayed  alive  for 
the  butchery  which  he  was  inflicting  upon  this  exquisite 
work.  He  had  cleaned  the  body  of  the  infant,  and  whole 
centre  of  the  picture,  till  all  the  original  surface  color  was 
taken  away,  and  nothing  was  left  but  the  dead  coloring 
of  blue-black  and  white ; so  that  whatever  may  be  its 
present  appearance,  it  certainly  is  no  longer  the  hand  of 
Correggio,  but  of  the  cleaner.  This  picture  early  attracted 
my  attention,  but  the  number  of  figures  and  complexity 
of  the  composition  deterred  me  from  attempting  to  copy 
it ; after  having  finished  my  Madonna,  I resolved  to 
attempt  it,  and  with  the  approbation  of  my  master,  I com- 
menced,— again  without  squares,  and  trusting  to  my  eye 
alone.  I had  not  advanced  far,  when  an  event  occurred, 
which  had  well  nigh  put  an  end  to  my  pursuit  of  the  arts 
forever. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1780,  news  arrived  in  Lon- 
don of  the  treason  of  Gen.  Arnold,  and  the  death  of  Major 
Andre.  The  loyalists,  who  had  carefully  watched  my 
conduct  from  the  day  of  my  arrival,  now  thought  them- 
selves certain  of  putting  an  end  to  my  unintelligible  secu- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


69 


rity  and  protection.  Mr.  Andre  had  been  the  deputy 
adjutant  general  of  the  British  army,  and  I a deputy  adju- 
tant general  in  the  American,  and  it  seemed  to  them  that 
I should  make  a perfect  pendant . They  however  took 
their  measures  with  great  adroitness  and  prudence,  and 
without  mentioning  my  name,  information  was  by  them 
lodged  at  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state,  that  there 
was  actually  in  London  (doubtless  in  the  character  of  a 
spy)  an  officer  of  rank  of  the  rebel  army,  a very  plausible 
and  dangerous  man,  Major  Tyler.  In  the  very  natural 
irritation  of  the  moment,  a warrant  was  instantly  issued  for 
his  arrest.  This  warrant  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Bond  of  the  police,  and  the  additional  instruction  was 
given  to  him  by  the  under  secretary,  Sir  Benjamin  Thomp- 
son, afterwards  Count  Rumford,  (himself  an  American  loy- 
alist,) that  “ in  the  same  house  with  the  person  who  is 
“ named  in  this  warrant,  lodges  another  American,  who 
“ there  are  strong  reasons  for  believing  to  be  the  most 
“ dangerous  man  of  the  two, — although  his  name  is  not 
“ inserted  in  the  warrant,  you  will  not  however  fail,  Mr. 
“ Bond,  to  secure  Mr.  Trumbull’s  person  and  papers  for 
“ examination,  as  well  as  Major  Tyler.”  This  took  place 
on  Saturday.  On  Sunday,  Winslow  Warren  of  Plymouth, 
who  was  a somewhat  amphibious  character,  and  withal 
young,  handsome  and  giddy,  dined  at  Kensington  with 
a party  of  loyalist  gentlemen  from  Boston,  when  the  arrest 
of  Mr.  Tyler  for  high  treason,  and  his  probable  fate,  be- 
came a subject  of  conversation  at  dinner.  Tyler  and 
Warren,  from  similarity  of  character,  had  become  com- 
panions in  the  gaieties  of  London,  and  the  moment  War- 
ren learned  the  danger  of  his  friend,  he  excused  himself 
from  sitting  after  dinner  to  wine,  by  pretending  an  engage- 
ment to  take  tea  with  some  ladies  at  the  east  end  of  the 


70 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


city;  and  knowing  where  Tyler  was  engaged  to  dine, 
he  drove  with  all  haste,  found  him,  and  warned  him  of 
his  danger.  Of  course  he  did  not  return  to  his  lodgings, 
but  prudently  and  safely  made  his  escape  to  the  conti- 
nent. In  the  mean  time,  a few  minutes  after  Tyler  went 
out  on  Sunday  morning,  a party  of  the  police  were  sta- 
tioned in  an  opposite  ale-house,  to  watch  for  him.  I knew 
nothing  of  what  was  thus  passing  around  me,  and  went 
out  and  returned  several  times  during  the  day.  In  the 
evening  I drank  tea  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Channing  of 
Georgia,  and  did  not  return  home  until  past  eleven 
o’clock ; I found  the  mistress  of  the  house  sitting  up, 
waiting  for  us ; I asked  for  Tyler,  and  was  answered  that 
he  was  not  yet  come  in.  Soon  after,  we  were  startled 
by  a loud  knock  at  the  door,  and  the  servant  came  in 
to  say,  that  it  was  a well  dressed  gentleman,  who  enquired 
for  Mr.  Tyler.  “Aye,”  said  I,  “some  of  his  merry  com- 
“ panions,  for  another  frolic.”  Some  time  after,  the  knock 
was  repeated,  and  the  servant  announced  that  the  same 
gentleman  had  enquired  again  for  Mr.  Tyler,  and  on  being 
told  that  he  was  not  yet  come  in,  desired  to  see  me. 
On  entering  the  passage,  I saw  a very  respectable  looking, 
middle  aged  man,  and  requested  him  to  walk  into  the 
parlor.  He  began  with  saying,  “ I am  very  sorry  that 
“ Mr.  Tyler  is  not  at  home,  as  I have  business  of  import- 
“ ance  with  him ; in  short,  sir,  I have  a warrant  to  arrest 
“ him.”  I replied,  “ that  I had  for  some  time  been  appre- 
hensive that  he  was  spending  more  money  than  he 
“could  afford.”  “You  misunderstand  me;  I have  a 
“ warrant  to  arrest  the  Major,  not  for  debt,  but  for  high 
“ treason ; and,  my  orders  are,  at  the  same  time,  to  secure 
“ your  person  and  papers,  Mr.  Trumbull,  for  examination.” 
A thunderbolt  falling  at  my  feet,  would  not  have  been 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


71 


more  astounding,  for  conscious  of  having  done  nothing 
politically  wrong,  I had  become  as  confident  of  safety  in 
London,  as  I should  have  been  in  Lebanon.  For  a few 
moments  I was  perfectly  disconcerted,  and  must  have 
looked  very  like  a guilty  man.  I saw,  in  all  its  force,  the 
folly  and  the  audacity  of  having  placed  myself  at  ease  in 
the  lion’s  den  ; but  by  degrees,  I recovered  my  self-pos- 
session, and  conversed  with  Mr.  Bond,  who  waited  for 
the  return  of  Mr.  Tyler  until  past  one  o’clock.  He  then 
asked  for  my  papers,  put  them  carefully  under  cover, 
which  he  sealed,  and  desired  me  also  to  seal;  having 
done  this,  he  conducted  me  to  a lock-up  housey  the 
Brown  Bear  in  Drury  Lane,  opposite  to  the  (then)  police 
office.  Here  I was  locked  into  a room,  in  which  was  a 
bed,  and  a strong  well  armed  officer,  for  the  companion 
of  my  night’s  meditations  or  rest.  The  windows,  as  well 
as  door,  were  strongly  secured  by  iron  bars  and  bolts, 
and  seeing  no  possible  means  of  making  my  retreat,  I 
yielded  to  my  fate,  threw  myself  upon  the  bed,  and 
endeavored  to  rest. 

At  eleven  o’clock  next  morning,  I was  guarded  across 
the  street,  through  a crowd  of  curious  idlers,  to  the  office, 
and  placed  in  the  presence  of  the  three  police  magistrates, 
Sir  Sampson  Wright,  Mr.  Addington,  and  another.  The 
situation  was  new,  painful,  embarrassing.  The  examin- 
ation began,  and  was  at  first  conducted  in  a style  so 
offensive  to  my  feelings,  that  it  soon  roused  me  from  my 
momentary  weakness,  and  I suddenly  exclaimed,  “You 
“appear  to  have  been  much  more  habituated  to  the 
“ society  of  highwaymen  and  pickpockets,  than  to  that  of 
“ gentlemen.  I will  put  an  end  to  all  this  insolent  folly, 
“ by  telling  you  frankly  who  and  what  I am.  I am  an 
“ American — my  name  is  Trumbull ; I am  a son  of  him 


72 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ whom  you  call  the  rebel  governor  of  Connecticut ; I 
“ have  served  in  the  rebel  American  army ; I have  had 
“ the  honor  of  being  an  aid-du-camp  to  him  whom  you 
“ call  the  rebel  General  Washington.  These  two  have 
“ always  in  their  power  a greater  number  of  your  friends, 
“ prisoners,  than  you  have  of  theirs.  Lord  George  Ger- 
“ maine  knows  under  what  circumstances  I came  to  Lon- 
“ don,  and  what  has  been  my  conduct  here.  I am 
“ entirely  in  your  power  ^ and,  after  the  hint  which  I have 
“ given  you,  treat  me  as  you  please,  always  remembering, 
“ that  as  I may  be  treated,  so  will  your  friends  in  America 
“ be  treated  by  mine.”  The  moment  of  enthusiasm  pass- 
ed, and  I half  feared  that  I had  said  too  much  ; but  I soon 
found  that  the  impulse  of  the  moment  was  right,  for  I was 
immediately,  and  ever  after,  treated  with  marked  civility, 
and  even  respect. 

Other  business  of  the  office  pressed,  so  after  a few 
words  more,  I was  ordered  in  custody  of  an  officer  to 
Tothill-fields  Bridewell,  for  safe  keeping  during  the  night, 
to  be  ready  for  a further  examination  the  next  day.  I 
had  not  entirely  recovered  from  the  shock  of  this  most 
unexpected  event,  so  I drifted  with  the  stream,  without 
further  struggle  against  my  fate,  and  I slept  that  night  in 
the  same  bed  with  a highwayman . 

The  next  day,  I was  brought  up  to  a second  examina- 
tion before  the  same  magistrates.  I had  avowed  the 
crime  of  which  I stood  accused — bearing  arms  against  the 
king — and  little  else  remained  to  do,  but  to  remand  me 
to  prison.  The  clerk  was  ordered  to  make  out  my  mit- 
timus ; I took  the  liberty  to  look  over  him,  and  found  he 
was  directing  it  to  the  keeper  of  Clerkenwell  prison. 
The  mob  of  the  preceding  summer,  called  Lord  George 
Gordon’s  mob,  had  in  their  madness  destroyed  all  the 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


73 


prisons  in  London  except  this,  and  of  course  it  was  filled 
to  overflowing  with  every  class  of  malefactors.  This  I 
knew,  and  therefore  remonstrated  against  being  placed  in 
such  detestable  companionship.  Sir  Sampson  answered 
with  great  civility,  and  apparent  kindness,  “We  must 
“ necessarily  place  you  in  confinement,  Mr.  Trumbull,  and 
“ unfortunately  this  is  the  only  prison  within  our  jurisdic- 
“ tion  which  remains  unburnt ; but  if  you  will  write  a note 
“ to  Lord  George  Germaine,  I will  myself  take  it  to  his 
“lordship,  and  I have  no  doubt  but  you  will  receive  a 
“ favorable  answer.”  I wrote  a few  words,  and  Sir  Samp- 
son soon  returned  with  a very  civil  verbal  answer  from 
Lord  George,  “ expressive  of  regret  for  what  had  hap- 
“ pened,  as  being  entirely  unknown  to  him,  until  it  was 
“ too  late  to  interfere  ; that  he  was  disposed  to  grant  any 
“alleviation  which  was  in  his  power;  that  therefore,  I 
“ might  make  choice  of  any  prison  in  the  kingdom,  from 
“ the  Tower  down,  as  the  safety  of  my  person,  not  the 
“infliction  of  inconvenience  or  vexation,  was  the  only 
“ object  of  the  government.” 

A little  enquiry  satisfied  me  that  it  would  be  folly  to 
select  the  Tower  for  my  place  of  residence,  as  I should 
have  to  pay  dearly  for  the  honor,  in  the  exorbitance  of 
fees ; and  as  I had  been  pleased  with  the  quiet  of  Tothill- 
fields,  and  the  civility  of  the  people,  I chose  that,  and  was 
remanded  to  the  care  of  Mr.  Smith,  the  keeper  of  that 
place,  who  having  been  butler  to  the  duke  of  Northum- 
berland, had  the  manners  of  a gentleman,  and  always 
treated  me  with  civility  and  kindness. 

The  building  which  bears  the  name  of  Tothill- fields 
Bridewell,  was  a quadrangle  of  perhaps  two  hundred  feet 
— an  old  and  irregular  building— the  house  of  the  keeper 
occupying  one  angle  and  part  of  a side;  the  entrance, 

10 


74 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


turnkey’s  room,  tap -room,  and  some  space  for  prisoners, 
and  a small  yard,  another  side;  the  female  apartments 
and  yard  occupy  the  third ; and  the  fourth  was  little 
more  than  a high  brick  wall.  Besides  the  yards,  a pretty 
little  garden  was  enclosed  within  the  walls ; all  windows 
looked  upon  the  interior  of  the  square.  Its  situation  was 
behind  Buckingham  house,  towards  Pimlico. 

After  the  first  shock,  during  which  I cared  not  where 
I slept,  or  what  I ate,  I hired  from  Mr.  Smith,  the  keeper, 
one  of  the  rooms  of  his  house,  for  which  I paid  a guinea 
a wTeek.  It  was  a parlor  on  the  ground  floor,  about 
twenty  feet  square ; the  door  opened  upon  the  hall  of  the 
house,  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and  was  secured  by  a 
strong  lock  and  bolts.  Two  windows  looked  upon  the 
yard,  and  were  also  firmly  secured  by  strong  iron  bars. 
The  room  was  neatly  furnished,  and  had  a handsome 
bureau  bed.  I received  my  breakfast  and  dinner, — what- 
ever I chose  to  order  and  pay  for,  from  the  little  public 
house,  called  the  tap . The  prison  allowance  of  the  gov- 
ernment was  a pennyworth  of  bread,  and  a penny  a day ; 
this  I gave  to  the  turnkey  for  brushing  my  hat,  clothes 
and  shoes.  Besides  these  comforts,  I had  the  privilege 
of  walking  in  the  garden.  Every  evening  when  Mr.  Smith 
went  to  his  bed,  he  knocked  at  my  door,  looked  in,  saw 
that  I was  safe,  wished  me  a good  night,  locked  the  door, 
drew  the  bolts,  put  the  key  in  his  pocket,  and  withdrew. 
In  the  morning,  when  he  quitted  his  own  apartment,  he 
unlocked  my  door,  looked  in  to  see  that  all  was  safe, 
wished  me  a good  morning,  and  went  his  way. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


75 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Age,  25  to  27—1781  to  1783—2  years. 

Kindness  of  Mr.  West — His  interview  with  the  king — Intercession  on 
my  behalf — Successful  so  far  as  security  from  the  worst  extremity  of 
the  law — Remained  in  prison  during  the  winter  and  spring,  eight 
months,  and  finish  the  copy  of  Correggio — Liberated  at  length  by  an 
order  in  council,  to  admit  me  to  bail,  obtained  through  the  kind  influ- 
ence of  Mr.  Burke,  &,c. — Leave  London  for  Amsterdam — Anec- 
dote at  Antwerp — At  the  counting-house  of  John  De  Neufville 
Son,  find  letters  from  my  father,  covering  authority  and  instructions 
to  negotiate  a loan  in  Holland  for  the  state  of  Connecticut — Time 
utterly  unfavorable — Resolved  to  return  to  America — Embarked  on 
board  the  South  Carolina — Went  north  about — Put  into  Corunna  in 
Spain — Quitted  the  ship  for  the  Cicero,  a private  armed  ship  belong- 
ing to  the  Cabots  of  Beverly — Sailed  for  Bilboa — Arrived — Detained 
until  December,  then  sailed  for  America — Arrived  at  Beverly  in  Jan- 
uary— Hastened  to  my  friends  in  Lebanon — Seized  with  a severe  and 
dangerous  illness,  the  consequence  of  so  many  vexatious  adventures 
and  disappointments — Recover — In  connexion  with  my  brother  take 
part  in  a contract  for  supplying  the  army — Passed  the  winter  at  New 
Windsor,  and  frequently  saw  my  fast  friend,  General  Washington — 
Here  received  the  news  of  the  signing  of  the  preliminaries  of  peace — 
Desultory  occupations  at  an  end — Necessary  to  choose  an  occupation 
for  life — Last  conversation  with  my  father  on  the  subject — He  recom- 
mends the  study  of  the  law,  as  leading  in  a republic  to  profit  and  honor 
— I still  tenacious  of  the  arts,  and  supporting  my  opinion  by  argu- 
ments drawn  from  the  history  of  Athens  and  Greece — My  father’s 
patient  endurance  of  my  eloquence  and  pithy  reply,  “ My  son,  you 
appear  to  forget,  that  Connecticut  is  not  Athens” — I triumph — Quit 
all  other  pursuits  and  again  embark  for  London  and  the  arts. 

The  moment  when  Mr.  West  heard  of  my  arrest,  was 
one  of  extreme  anxiety  to  him.  His  love  for  the  land  of 
his  nativity  was  no  secret,  and  he  knew  that  the  American 
loyalists  (at  the  head  of  whom  was  Joseph  Galloway, 


76 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


once  a member  of  Congress  from  Pennsylvania)  were  out- 
rageous at  the  kindness  which  the  king  had  long  shewn 
to  him,  and  still  continued;  he  dreaded  also  the  use 
which  might  be  made  to  his  disadvantage  of  the  arrest 
for  treason,  of  a young  American  who  had  been  in  a 
manner  domesticated  under  his  roof,  and  of  whom  he 
had  spoken  publicly  and  with  approbation.  He  there- 
fore hurried  to  Buckingham  house,  asked  an  audience 
of  the  king,  and  was  admitted. 

Mr.  West  began  with  stating  what  had  induced  him 
to  take  the  liberty  of  this  intrusion, — his  anxiety  lest  the 
affair  of  my  arrest  might  involve  his  own  character,  and 
diminish  his  majesty’s  kindness, — spoke  of  my  conduct 
during  the  time  he  had  known  me,  as  having  been  so 
entirely  devoted  to  the  study  of  my  professipn  as  to  have 
left  no  time  for  political  intrigue,  &,c.  &,c.  The  king 
listened  with  attention,  and  then  said,  “West,  I have 
“known  you  long,  and  have  conversed  with  you  fre- 
“ quently.  I can  recollect  no  occasion  on  which  you  have 
“ ever  attempted  to  mislead  or  misinform  me,  and  for  that 
“ reason  you  have  acquired  my  entire  confidence.  I fully 
“ believe  all  that  you  have  now  said,  and  assure  you  that 
“ my  confidence  in  you  is  not  at  all  diminished  by  this 
“ unpleasant  occurrence.  I am  sorry  for  the  young  man, 
“ but  he  is  in  the  hands  of  the  law,  and  must  abide  the 
“ result — I cannot  interpose.  Do  you  know  whether  his 
“ parents  are  living  V9 

“ I think  I have  heard  him  say  that  he  has  very  lately 
“ received  news  of  the  death  of  his  mother ; I believe  his 
“ father  is  living.” 

“ I pity  him  from  my  soul !”  He  mused  a few  mo- 
ments and  then  added,  “But,  West,  go  to  Mr.  Trumbull 
“ immediately,  and  pledge  to  him  my  royal  promise,  that, 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


77 


“in  the  worst  possible  event  of  the  law,  his  life  shall 
“ be  safe.”  (See  anecdote  in  the  Appendix.) 

This  message  was  immediately  delivered,  and  received, 
as  it  deserved  to  be,  with  profound  gratitude.  I had  now 
nothing  more  to  apprehend  than  a tedious  confinement, 
and  that  might  be  softened  by  books  and  my  pencil.  I 
therefore  begged  Mr.  West  to  permit  me  to  have  his 
beautiful  little  Correggio,  and  my  tools  ; — I proceeded 
with  the  copy,  which  was  finished  in  prison  during  the 
winter  of  1780-81,  and  is  now  deposited  in  the  Gallery 
at  New  Haven. 

But,  with  every  alleviation,  confinement  within  four 
walls  soon  became  irksome,  and  with  the  advice  of  some 
friends,  (for  my  friends  were  permitted  freely  to  visit 
me,)  I resolved  to  endeavor  to  force  myself  to  a legal 
trial ; for  the  tide  of  military  affairs,  as  well  as  of  public 
opinion,  began  to  run  in  favor  of  America,  and  it  was 
believed  that  no  jury  could  be  found,  who  would  enforce 
the  penalty  of  the  law.  I therefore  consulted  an  eminent 
lawyer — the  Hon.  John  Lee — and  received  for  answer, 
that  the  suspension  of  the  act  of  habeas  corpus,  rendered 
such  a measure  impossible,  and  that  my  only  hope  was, 
by  impressing  the  minds  of  ministers  with  a sense  of  the 
uselessness  of  severe  measures,  in  the  actual  state  of  the 
dispute,  and  thus  inducing  them  to  release  me,  as  a step 
towards  conciliation. 

In  the  course  of  the  winter,  I received  kind  visits  from 
many  distinguished  men,  among  whom  were  John  Lee, 
lately  attorney  general,  Charles  J.  Fox,  and  others.  Mr. 
Fox  was  very  kind ; he  recommended  a direct  applica- 
tion to  ministers,  on  the  ground  of  impolicy,  and  added, 
“ I would  undertake  it  myself,  if  I thought  I could  have 
“ any  influence  with  them ; but  such  is  the  hostility  be- 


78 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ tween  us,  that  we  are  not  even  on  speaking  terms,  Mr. 
“ Burke  has  not  lost  all  influence — has  not  thrown  away 
“ the  scabbard,  as  I have ; I will  converse  with  him,  and 
“ desire  him  to  visit  you.”  A few  days  after,  Mr.  Burke 
came  to  see  me,  and  readily  and  kindly  undertook  the 
negotiation,  which  after  some  unavoidable  delay,  ended 
in  an  order  of  the  king  in  council  to  admit  me  to  bail, 
with  the  condition  that  I should  leave  the  kingdom  in 
thirty  days,  and  not  return  until  after  peace  should  be 
restored.  Mr.  West  and  Mr.  Copley  became  my  sureties, 
and  I was  liberated  in  the  beginning  of  June,  after  a close 
confinement  of  seven  months.  (See  Appendix.) 

During  this  time,  and  amid  the  variety  of  crime  with 
which  I was  surrounded,  I necessarily  saw  much  of  the 
dark  side  of  human  character,  and  met  with  some  traits  of 
deep  interest ; but  their  narration  can  do  no  good — the 
world  is  already  too  deeply  read  in  evil.  I remained  in 
London  a few  days,  and  then  determined  to  return  to 
America  by  the  shortest  route,  Amsterdam.  Again  I 
crossed  from  Deal  to  Ostend,  and  there  was  joined  by 
my  friend,  Mr.  Temple,  who  had  the  same  intention  of 
returning  to  America.  We  travelled  together,  and  at 
Antwerp  met  with  a little  adventure  sufficiently  ridiculous, 
as  well  as  annoying,  to  merit  notice. 

The  morning  after  our  arrival  at  Antwerp,  we  rose  early, 
that  we  might  have  time  to  view  some  of  the  curiosities 
of  the  city,  especially  the  cathedral.  We  took  a guide, 
but  reached  the  cathedral  too  early  ; morning  mass  was 
being  celebrated,  during  which  the  finest  paintings,  &.C., 
could  not  be  seen.  Not  to  lose  time,  our  guide  offered  to 
conduct  us  to  the  house  of  a gentleman  in  the  vicinity, 
who  possessed  (he  said)  one  of  the  finest  collections 
of  paintings  in  the  city.  We  went,  were  admitted, — 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


79 


shown  into  a neat  parlor,  and  desired  to  wait ; we  expect- 
ed to  see  some  upper  servant  to  guide  us.  A young 
gentleman  soon  came  in,  dressed  very  well,  but  somewhat 
negligently,  who  we  soon  discovered  could  neither  speak 
English  nor  French,  but  as  far  as  signs  could  go,  he  was 
very  attentive  and  civil.  He  left  the  room  for  a moment, 
and  I seized  the  opportunity  to  ask  Mr.  Temple,  as  being 
better  acquainted  with  European  manners  than  I was, 
“ whether  this  could  be  the  master  of  the  house,  or  only 
“ his  valet,  or  maitre  d'hotel.”  “ Certainly  not  the  master,” 
said  he ; “ we  cannot  suppose  that  he  would  be  so  atten- 
“ tive  to  strangers  at  so  early  an  hour.”  The  gentleman 
returned,  showed  us  from  one  apartment  to  another, 
pointing  out,  with  great  assiduity  and  precision,  the  finest 
pictures,  and  this  with  a manner  so  entirely  polished,  that 
my  heart  misgave  me  as  we  approached  the  last  of  the 
suite  of  rooms ; there,  however,  I did  what  was  custom- 
ary— offered  him  silver  for  his  attention.  He  smiled,  like 
a gentleman , and  succeeded  in  making  us  understand 
that  the  servant  was  at  the  door.  Never  was  I more 
mortified.  It  was  a direct  insult  to  offer  money  to  the 
master  of  the  house,  and  argued  gross  ignorance  in  us 
to  mistake  the  master  for  a servant.  Every  way  it  was 
a most  mortifying  blunder,  and  I felt  the  dread  of  being 
recognized  so  severely,  that  I carefully  avoided  going 
again  to  that  house,  when  afterward  I passed  some  days 
in  Antwerp. 

We  passed  through  Bergen-op-Zoom,  and  visited  the 
fortifications,  then  the  finest  in  Europe ; thence  passed 
through  Williamstadt  to  Rotterdam ; slept  there,  saw 
the  statue  of  Erasmus,  and  other  curiosities  of  the  city, 
and  passed  on  through  Gorcum,  &c.,  by  the  canal,  to 
Amsterdam. 


80 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


The  next  day  I called  at  the  counting-house  of  Messrs. 
John  De  Neufville  & Son,  and  there  found  important  let- 
ters from  my  father.  This  house  was  then  in  high  mer- 
cantile repute,  and  favorable  to  the  cause  of  America; 
the  other  great  houses  of  Amsterdam,  the  Hopes,  Wil- 
links,  &c.  were  in  the  English  interest.  I had  seen  the 
junior  partner  of  this  house  in  London,  (the  son,)  and 
requested  that  any  letters  which  might  come  to  their 
hands,  to  my  address,  might  be  retained.  Mr.  De  Neuf- 
ville  invited  me  to  accept  an  apartment  in  his  house,  which 
I did.  I found  that  one  of  the  packets  from  my  father 
contained  authority  and  instructions  to  negotiate  a loan  in 
Holland,  for  the  state  of  Connecticut.  (See  Appendix.) 

On  consulting  with  Mr.  John  Adams,  wThom  I again 
met  here,  endeavoring  in  vain  to  accomplish  a similar  pur- 
pose for  the  United  States,  I learned  that  the  moment  was 
entirely  unfavorable,  that  he  was  unable  to  succed  for  the 
nation,  and  of  course  I could  not  hope  to  do  better  on  the 
credit  of  a small  state,  which  was  comparatively  unknown 
in  Europe.  My  friends,  the  De  Neufvilles  and  the  Van 
Staphorsts,  the  only  considerable  capitalists  from  whom  I 
had  reason  to  entertain  any  expectations,  expressed  the 
same  opinion,  and  therefore  I gave  up  the  attempt.  Thus 
was  I baffled  at  every  point — my  original  mercantile  spec- 
ulation— my  flattering  pursuit  of  the  arts — and  now  this 
honorable  gleam  of  hope,  all  seemed  to  fade  and  elude 
my  grasp  ; — nothing  therefore  remained  but  to  yield  to 
circumstances,  and  find  my  way  back  to  America,  and 
the  quiet  of  home,  as  soon  as  possible. 

Two  opportunities  offered  for  America ; one  was  a small 
fast  sailing  merchant  vessel,  unarmed,  and  relying  entirely 
upon  her  speed  to  avoid  the  British  cruisers  which  she 
must  expect  to  meet ; the  other  was  the  South  Carolina, 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


81 


commanded  by  Commodore  Gillon,  a frigate  of  the  first 
class,  too  strong  to  fear  any  thing  less  than  a ship  of  the 
line.  My  friend,  Mr.  Temple,  wisely  chose  to  go  in  the 
small  ship,  and  arrived  at  Boston  in  three  weeks.  Several 
other  gentlemen  were  going  on  board  the  South  Carolina ; 
they,  as  well  as  Mr.  Gillon,  urged  me  to  go  with  them, 
and  unfortunately  I separated  from  my  friend. 

The  story  of  this  ship  has  been  the  subject  of  much 
discussion  since,  as  well  as  of  several  publications.  The 
want  of  funds  or  credit,  and  the  dread  of  those  who  had 
advanced  money  for  her  outfit,  occasioned  her  officers 
(after  she  had  been  permitted  to  drop  down  to  the  Texel) 
to  run  her  out  of  the  roads,  and  to  anchor  on  the  outside, 
beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  port,  at  the  distance  of 
more  than  a league  from  land.  Here  several  of  us  pas- 
sengers went  on  board,  and  on  the  12th  of  August,  soon 
after  sunrise,  the  wind  began  to  blow  from  the  northwest, 
directly  on  shore,  with  every  appearance  of  a heavy  gale. 
The  proper  thing  to  have  done,  was  to  have  run  back  into 
the  Texel  roads,  but  that  we  dared  not  do,  lest  the  ship 
should  be  seized.  We  dared  not  run  for  the  English  chan- 
nel, lest  we  should  fall  in  with  British  cruisers  of  superior 
force.  The  gale  soon  increased  to  such  a degree,  that  it 
would  have  been  madness  to  remain  at  anchor  on  such  a 
lee  shore.  The  only  thing  which  could  be  done,  there- 
fore, was  to  lay  the  ship’s  head  to  the  northeast,  and  carry 
sail.  A fog  soon  came  on,  so  thick  that  we  could  hardly 
see  from  stem  to  stern ; the  gale  increased  to  a very  hur- 
ricane, and  soon  brought  us  to  close -reefed  topsails ; the 
coast  of  Holland  was  under  our  lee,  and  we  knew  that 
we  were  running  upon  the  very  edge  of  the  sands,  which 
extend  so  far  from  the  shore,  that  if  the  ship  should  touch, 
she  must  go  to  pieces  before  we  could  even  see  the  land, 

' 11 


82 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


and  all  hands  must  perish.  We  passed  the  morning  in  the 
deepest  anxiety ; in  the  afternoon  we  discovered  that  we 
had  started  several  of  the  bolts  of  the  weather  main -chain 
plates.  This  forced  us  to  take  in  our  close-reefed  top- 
sails, as  the  masts  would  no  longer  bear  the  strain  of  any 
sail  aloft,  and  we  were  obliged  to  rely  upon  a reefed  fore- 
sail. By  this  time,  we  knew  that  we  must  be  not  far  from 
Heligoland,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe,  where  the  coast 
begins  to  trend  to  the  northward,  which  increased  the 
danger.  At  ten  o’clock  at  night,  a squall  struck  us 

heavier  still  than  the  gale,  and  threw  our  only  sail 
aback ; the  ship  became  unmanageable,  the  officers  lost 
their  self-possession,  and  the  crew  all  confidence  in  them, 
while  for  a few  minutes  all  was  confusion  and  dismay. 
Happily  for  us,  Commodore  Barney  was  among  the  pas- 
sengers, (he  had  just  escaped  from  Mill  prison  in  Eng- 
land,)— hearing  the  increased  tumult  aloft,  and  feeling 
the  ungoverned  motion  of  the  ship,  he  flew  upon  deck, 
saw  the  danger,  assumed  the  command,  the  men  obeyed, 
and  he  soon  had  her  again  under  control.  It  was  found, 
that  with  the  squall  the  wind  had  shifted  several  points, 
so  that  on  the  other  tack  we  could  lay  a safe  course  to 
the  westward,  and  thus  relieve  our  mainmast.  That  our 
danger  was  imminent  no  one  will  doubt,  when  informed 
that  on  the  following  morning,  the  shore  of  the  Texel 
Island  was  covered  with  the  wrecks  of  ships,  which  were 
afterwards  ascertained  to  have  been  Swedish;  among 
them  was  a ship  of  seventy-four  guns,  convoying  twelve 
merchantmen — all  were  wrecked,  and  every  soul  on  board 
perished.  The  figure-head  of  the  ship-of-war,  a yellow 
lion,  the  same  as  ours,  was  found  upon  the  shore,  and  gave 
sad  cause  to  our  friends  for  believing,  for  some  time,  that 
the  South  Carolina  had  perished. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


83 


When  the  gale  subsided,  we  stood  to  the  northward, 
made  the  Orkneys,  then  Shetland,  and  when  off  Faro 
encountered  another  gale,  more  furious,  if  possible,  than 
that  of  the  12th,  but  we  had  now  sea-room  and  deep 
water.  In  the  night,  however,  the  ship  labored  so  heavily 
as  to  roll  the  shot  out  of  her  lockers ; several  of  us  pas- 
sengers had  our  cots  slung  in  the  great  cabin,  over  the 
guns,  which  were  forty-two  pounders,  and  it  was  by  no 
means  a pleasant  sight  to  see  several  dozens  of  these 
enormous  shot  rolling  from  side  to  side  of  the  ship,  with 
the  roar  of  thunder,  and  crushing  all  that  stood  in  their 
way,  whether  furniture,  trunks  or  chests,  while  we  hung 
over  them  swinging  in  our  canvass  bags.  This  difficulty 
was  overcome,  and  the  rolling  of  the  shot  stopped,  by 
throwing  the  people’s  hammocks  among  them. 

Another  danger  was  also  apprehended — that  some  of 
the  immense  heavy  guns  might  break  loose.  They  were 
secured  by  running  one  of  the  cables  outside,  fore  and 
aft,  in  front  of  the  open  port-holes,  and  passing  strong 
lashings  around  that ; by  this  addition  to  the  usual  ring- 
bolts, all  was  held  safe  until  the  gale  was  over. 

We  had  now  cleared  the  land  of  the  British  islands, 
and  were  off  the  west  coast  of  Ireland,  when  it  was 
thought  to  be  necessary  to  examine  into  the  state  of  our 
provisions  and  water.  The  enormous  heavy  metal  of  the 
ship  rendered  necessary  a very  strong  crew,  and  so  inju- 
dicious was  the  construction  of  the  ship,  that  when  the 
men,  &c.  were  accommodated,  too  little  room  remained 
for  provisions,  water  and  stores.  This  examination  showed 
that  we  were  short ; consequently,  instead  of  continuing 
our  course  for  America,  it  was  determined  to  bear  away 
for  Corunna  in  Spain,  the  nearest  friendly  port.  We 
arrived  in  safety,  in  a few  days.  There  we  found  the 


84 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Cicero,  a fine  letter  of  marque  ship,  of  twenty  guns  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty  men,  belonging  to  the  house  of 
Cabot  in  Beverly.  She  was  to  sail  immediately  for  Bilboa, 
there  to  take  on  board  a cargo,  which  wTas  lying  ready 
for  her,  and  to  sail  for  America.  Several  of  us,  (among 
whom  were  Major  Jackson,  who  had  been  secretary  to 
Col.  John  Laurens,  in  his  late  mission  to  France,  Capt. 
Barney,  Mr.  Bromfield,  and  Charles  Adams,)  tired  of  the 
management  of  the  South  Carolina,  endeavored  to  get  a 
passage  to  Bilboa,  on  board  of  this  ship,  and  were  per- 
mitted to  go  on  board  their  prize,  a fine  British  Lisbon 
packet.  The  usual  time  required  to  run  from  Corunna 
to  Bilboa  was  two  to  three  days.  We  were  again  un- 
fortunate ; the  wind  being  east,  dead  a-head,  we  were 
twenty  one  days  in  making  the  passage,  and,  as  if  Jonas 
himself  had  been  among  us,  at  the  end  of  eighteen  days, 
we  fell  in  with  a little  fleet  of  Spanish  coasters  and  fish- 
ermen, running  to  the  westward  before  the  wind,  who 
told  us  that  when  off  the  bar  of  Bilboa,  they  had  seen  a 
ship  and  two  brigs,  which  they  believed  to  be  British 
cruisers,  and  cautioned  us  to  keep  a good  look-out. 
Capt.  Hill  of  the  Cicero,  immediately  hailed  his  prize,  a 
ship  of  sixteen  guns,  and  a fine  brig  of  sixteen  guns,  which 
was  also  in  company,  and  directed  them  to  keep  close 
to  him,  and  prepare  to  meet  an  enemy.  At  sunset  we 
saw  what  appeared  to  be  the  force  described,  and  about 
midnight  found  we  were  within  hail.  The  Cicero  ran 
close  alongside  of  the  ship,  and  hailed  her  in  English — 
no  answer ; in  French — no  answer.  The  men,  who  were 
at  their  guns,  impatient  of  delay,  did  not  wait  for  orders, 
but  poured  in  her  broadside;  the  hostile  squadron  (as 
we  supposed  them)  separated,  and  made  all  sail  in  differ- 
ent directions,  when  a boat  from  the  large  ship  came 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


85 


alongside  with  her  captain,  a Spaniard,  who  informed  us 
that  they  were  Spanish  vessels  from  St.  Sebastians,  bound 
to  the  West  Indies — that  his  ship  was  very  much  cut  in 
her  rigging,  but  happily,  no  lives  lost.  He  had  mistaken 
us  for  British  vessels,  and  was  delighted  to  find  his  mis- 
take. We  apologized  for  ours,  offered  assistance,  &,c. 
and  we  parted  most  amicably.  Soon  after,  we  entered 
the  river  of  Bilboa,  and  ran  up  to  Porto  Galette.  The 
disabled  ship  with  her  comrades  put  into  Corunna,  where 
it  was  found  that  one  of  our  nine  pound  shot  had  wounded 
the  mainmast  of  our  antagonist  so  severely,  that  it  was 
necessary  to  take  it  (the  mast)  out,  and  put  in  a new 
one.  This  was  not  the  work  of  a day,  and  her  consorts 
were  detained  until  their  flag  ship  was  ready.  In  the 
mean  time,  we  had  almost  completed  taking  in  our  cargo 
at  Bilboa,  when  a messenger  from  Madrid  arrived,  with 
orders  to  unhang  the  rudders  of  all  American  ships  in 
the  port,  until  the  bill  for  repairs  of  the  wounded  ship, 
demurrage  of  her  consorts,  &c.  &c.,  was  paid.  We  were 
thus  detained  in  Bilboa  until  the  1 Oth  of  December,  and 
even  then  had  to  encounter  one  more  vexation  and  delay. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  river  of  Bilboa  is  a bar,  on 
which  the  water  is  so  shallow,  that  a ship  of  the  Cicero’s 
size  can  pass  over,  only  at  spring  tides.  When  we  drop- 
ped down  from  Porto  Galette,  we  found  the  wind  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  blowing  fresh  from  the  northward, 
which  caused  such  a heavy  surf  upon  the  bar,  that  it 
was  impossible  to  take  the  ship  over.  We  were  obliged 
to  wait  until  the  wind  lulled,  and  then  the  pilot  insisted 
that  he  could  not  take  her  over  safely,  until  the  next 
spring  tide.  Several  of  the  passengers  thought  it  was 
folly  to  remain  on  board,  consuming  the  ship’s  stores,  and 
proposed  to  the  captain  that  we  would  go  back  to  Bilboa 


86 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


for  a few  days.  He  acceded,  promising  to  send  up  a 
boat  for  us,  whenever  he  might  have  a prospect  of  getting 
to  sea.  We  went,  and  amused  ourselves  among  the 
friends  we  had  made ; on  the  third  or  fourth  day,  we 
were  walking  with  some  ladies  in  the  Alameda,  a public 
walk  which  ran  upon  the  bank  of  the  river,  when  we 
espied  a boat  coming  up  with  sails  and  oars,  which  we 
recognized  as  being  from  below.  One  of  her  men  sprang 
on  shore,  and  ran  to  us,  with  the  information  that  the 
Cicero,  and  other  vessels,  had  got  over  the  bar  that 
morning  at  eight  o’clock,  and  were  standing  out  to  sea, 
with  a fair  wind — that  Capt.  Hill  desired  us  to  make  all 
possible  haste  to  get  on  board — that  he  would  stand  off 
and  on  for  a few  hours,  but  not  long,  as  he  could  not 
justify  it  to  his  owners.  We,  of  course,  made  all  possible 
haste,  but  the  distance  from  town  was  eight  or  nine 
miles,  and  when  we  got  down,  it  was  near  three  o’clock, 
and  the  ship  was  out  of  sight  We  obtained  a spy-glass, 
ran  to  the  top  of  the  house,  and  could  thence  discern  a 
ship  in  the  oiling,  apparently  standing  in.  We  persuaded 
ourselves  that  it  must  be  the  Cicero,  and  bid  for  a boat 
and  crew  to  put  us  on  board.  The  pilots  made  great 
difficulty — the  sea  was  very  rough — the  ship  was  too  far 
out — perhaps  it  was  not  the  Cicero — they  thought  it  was 
not ; all  this  was  said  to  work  up  the  price.  On  the  other 
hand,  we  were  desperate ; among  us  we  could  not  muster 
twenty  guineas  to  carry  us  through  the  winter,  and  the 
bargain  was  at  last  made,  at  a price  which  nearly  emptied 
all  our  pockets,  and  before  sunset  we  got  on  board  the 
Cicero,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  two  or  three  leagues  from 
land.  The  mountains  of  Asturia  were  already  covered 
with  snow,  but  the  wind  was  fair,  and  we  went  on  our 
way  rejoicing. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


87 


No  accident  befel,  until  the  last  day  of  our  passage. 
We  saw  the  land  of  America,  (the  Blue  Hills  of  Milton, 
near  Boston,)  in  the  afternoon  of  a beautiful  day  in  Jan- 
uary ; at  six  o’clock,  P.  M.,  we  laid  the  ship’s  head  to 
the  eastward,  and  stood  off  under  easy  sail  until  mid- 
night, when  we  hove  about,  and  stood  in  to  the  west- 
ward, under  the  same  sail,  expecting  to  find  ourselves  at 
sunrise,  at  about  the  same  distance  from  the  land,  and  all 
was  joy  and  merriment  on  board,  at  the  near  approach 
of  home.  One  honest  old  tar  was  happily  on  the  look- 
out, and  at  three  o’clock  sung  out  from  the  forecastle, 
“ breakers ! breakers ! close  under  our  bow,  and  right 
“ ahead !”  He  was  just  in  time ; the  crew,  though  merry, 
were  obedient,  and  flew  upon  deck  in  time  to  escape  the 
danger.  We  found  we  were  close  upon  the  rocks  of 
Cape  Ann.  We  must  have  been  drifted  by  a very  strong 
current,  for  our  course  had  been  judicious,  and  could 
never  have  brought  the  ship  there.  Before  noon,  we 
were  safe  in  the  port  of  Beverly,  where  we  found  eleven 
other  ships,  all  larger  and  finer  vessels  than  the  Cicero — 
all  belonging  to  the  same  owners,  the  brothers  Cabot — 
laid  up  for  the  winter.  Yet  such  are  the  vicissitudes  of 
war  and  the  elements,  that  before  the  close  of  the  year 
they  were  all  lost  by  capture  or  wreck,  and  the  house  of 
Cabot  had  not  a single  ship  afloat  upon  the  ocean.  In 
the  evening,  after  we  got  into  port,  a snow  storm  came 
on,  with  a heavy  gale  from  the  eastward.  The  roads 
were  so  completely  blocked  up  with  snow,  that  they  were 
impassable,  and  we  did  not  get  up  to  Boston  until  the 
third  day ; but,  per  tot  discrimina  rerum , I was  at  last  safe 
on  American  land,  and  most  truly  thankful. 

I returned  to  Lebanon,  as  soon  as  possible,  and  occu- 
pied myself  with  closing  all  accounts  respecting  my  un- 


88 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


fortunate  mercantile  experiment.  My  reflections  were 
painful — I had  thrown  away  two  of  the  most  precious 
years  of  life— had  encountered  many  dangers,  and  suf- 
fered many  inconveniences,  to  no  purpose.  I was  seized 
with  a serious  illness,  which  confined  me  to  my  bed,  and 
endangered  my  life ; and  it  was  autumn  before  I had 
recovered  strength  sufficient  to  attempt  any  occupation. 

My  brother  was  engaged  in  a contract  for  the  supply 
of  the  army.  It  was  necessary  to  have  a perfectly  confi- 
dential agent  residing  with  the  army,  to  superintend  the 
faithful  execution  of  the  contract  there.  He  offered  me 
this  situation,  and  as  soon  as  I had  recovered  sufficient 
strength,  I commenced  my  duty  at  the  quarters  of  the 
army,  on  the  North  river — presented  myself  to  my  early 
master  and  friend,  General  Washington,  and  was  very 
kindly  received.  I remained  at  New  Windsor  during  the 
winter  of  1 782  and  1 783.  Here  we  received  the  news  of 
the  signing  of  the  preliminary  articles  of  peace,  and  an 
end  was  thus  put  to  all  further  desultory  pursuits.  It  was 
now  necessary  to  determine  upon  a future  occupation  for 
life.  The  gentlemen  with  whom  I was  connected  in  the 
military  contract  proposed  a commercial  establishment,  in 
which  they  would  furnish  funds,  information  and  advice, 
while  I should  execute  the  business,  and  divide  with  them 
the  profits.  The  proposal  was  fascinating,  but  I reflected 
that  if  I entered  upon  regular  commerce,  I must  come  in 
competition  with  men  who  had  been  educated  in  the 
counting-house,  and  my  ignorance  might  often  leave  me 
at  their  mercy,  and  therefore  I declined  this  offer.  My 
father  again  urged  the  law,  as  the  profession  which  in  a 
republic  leads  to  all  emolument  and  distinction,  and  for 
which  my  early  education  had  well  prepared  me.  My 
reply  was,  that  so  far  as  I understood  the  question,  law 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


89 


was  rendered  necessary  by  the  vices  of  mankind — that  I 
had  already  seen  too  much  of  them,  willingly  to  devote 
my  life  to  a profession  which  would  keep  me  perpetually 
involved,  either  in  the  defense  of  innocence  against  fraud 
and  injustice,  or  (what  was  much  more  revolting  to  an 
ingenuous  mind)  to  the  protection  of  guilt  against  just 
and  merited  punishment.  In  short,  I pined  for  the  arts, 
again  entered  into  an  elaborate  defense  of  my  predilec- 
tion, and  again  dwelt  upon  the  honors  paid  to  artists  in  the 
glorious  days  of  Greece  and  Athens.  My  father  listened 
patiently,  and  when  I had  finished,  he  complimented  me 
upon  the  able  manner  in  which  I had  defended  what  to 
him  still  appeared  to  be  a bad  cause.  “ I had  confirmed 
“ his  opinion,”  he  said,  “ that  with  proper  study  I should 
“ make  a respectable  lawyer ; but,”  added  he,  “ you  must 
“give  me  leave  to  say,  that  you  appear  to  have  over- 
looked, or  forgotten,  one  very  important  point  in  your 
“ case.”  “ Pray,  sir,”  I rejoined,  “ what  was  that  V9  “ You 
“ appear  to  forget,  sir,  that  Connecticut  is  not  Athens ;” 
and  with  this  pithy  remark,  he  bowed  and  withdrew,  and 
never  more  opened  his  lips  upon  the  subject.  How  often 
have  those  few  impressive  words  recurred  to  my  memory 
— “ Connecticut  is  not  Athens !”  The  decision  was  made 
in  favor  of  the  arts.  I closed  all  other  business,  and  in 
December,  1783,  embarked  at  Portsmouth,  New  Hamp- 
shire, for  London. 


12 


90 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Age,  28  to  30 — 1784  to  1786 — 2 years. 

Arrived  in  London  in  January,  1784 — My  father’s  letter  to  Mr.  Edmund 
Burke — Anecdote  of  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence — Portrait  of  Coi.  Wads- 
worth and  son — Copy  for  Mr.  West  his  battle  of  La  Hogue — Begin 
the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  and  the  death  of  Gen.  Montgomery — In- 
vited to  dine  with  artists — Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  one  of  the  party — 
Anecdote — Mr.  West  paid  constant  attention  to  the  progress  of  these 
pictures — Form  a connection  with  Mr.  A.  di  Poggi  as  publisher — 
Visit  Paris  for  the  purpose  of  finding  engravers — Meet  Mr.  Jefferson 
there,  and  reside  at  his  house — In  company  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cos- 
way of  London,  I visited  all  that  was  curious  in  the  arts,  in  Paris,  Ver- 
sailles, &lc. — Return  to  England — Anecdote  of  Mr.  John  B.  Church, 
and  his  most  constant  and  essential  kindness  in  pecuniary  affairs. 

I arrived  in  London  in  January,  1784,  went  imme- 
diately to  Mr.  West,  and  was  received  most  cordially. 

My  father  had  written  a letter  to  Mr.  Edmund  Burke, 
expressive  of  his  gratitude  for  the  kindness  shown  to  his 
son  when  in  prison,  and  commending  me  to  his  future 
protection.  This  letter  I early  presented,  and  was  most 
kindly  received.  “Your  father  speaks  of  painting  as 
“ being  the  great  object  of  your  pursuit ; do  you  not  intend 
“ to  study  architecture  also,”  asked  Mr.  Burke.  I replied, 
“ that  I thought  l knew  enough  already,  for  my  purpose  in 
“ backgrounds,  &c.”  “ I do  not  mean  that,  Mr.  Trumbull ; 
“ you  are  aware  that  architecture  is  the  eldest  sister,  that 
“ painting  and  sculpture  are  the  youngest,  and  subservient 
“ to  her ; you  must  also  be  aware  that  you  belong  to  a 
“ young*  nation,  which  will  soon  want  public  buildings  ; 
“ these  must  be  erected  before  the  decorations  of  painting 
“ and  sculpture  will  be  required.  I would  therefore 


/ 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL.  91 

“ strongly  advise  you  to  study  architecture  thoroughly 
“ and  scientifically,  in  order  to  qualify  yourself  to  super- 
“ intend  the  erection  of  these  national  buildings — decorate 
“ them  also,  if  you  will.” 

This  was  wise  and  kind  advice,  and  I had  afterwards 
sufficient  evidence  of  my  own  want  of  wisdom  in  neglect- 
ing to  follow  it ; a few  of  the  hours  of  evenings,  which, 
with  all  my  fancied  industry,  were  trifled  away,  would 
have  sufficed  for  the  acquisition  of  thorough  architectural 
knowledge. 

Mr.  Burke  was  the  personal  friend  of  Sir  Joshua  Rey- 
nolds, and  when  I mentioned  my  predilection  for  history, 
and  spoke  of  my  intention  to  study  especially  under  Mr. 
West,  he  did  not  appear  to  regard  this  preference  with 
cordiality.  I went  on,  however,  painting  by  day  at  Mr. 
West’s  house,  and  in  the  evening,  drawing  at  the  acad- 
emy. Here  I frequently  sat  by  the  side  of  Lawrence, 
(afterwards  Sir  Thomas,)  so  celebrated  for  his  exquisite 
portraits;  his  manner  there,  was,  to  finish  elaborately, 
such  parts  of  the  model  before  him  as  struck  his  taste ; — of 
course  he  rarely  had  time  to  work  up  the  other  parts  of 
his  figure  with  equal  care,  and  the  whole  teas  not  unfre- 
quently , out  of  drawing . The  consequence  of  this  bad 
habit  of  study  may  often  be  traced  in  his  paintings. 

In  the  early  part  of  my  studies,  in  1784,  my  friend, 
Col.  Wadsworth,  and  his  son,  wTere  in  London,  and  I 
was  desired  to  paint  their  portraits.  I attempted  it — the 
father  dressed  in  gray  cloth,  sitting,  the  son  leaning  on  his 
shoulder — small,  whole  length  figures.  This  picture  still 
exists,  in  possession  of  Mrs.  Terry  of  Hartford,  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  former  and  sister  of  the  latter  of  these  two  gen- 
tlemen, and  is,  in  truth,  bad  enough.  I had  the  vanity, 
however,  to  take  it  to  show  to  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds ; 


92 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


the  moment  he  saw  it,  he  said,  in  a quick  sharp  tone, 
“ that  coat  is  bad,  sir,  very  bad  ; it  is  not  cloth — it  is 
“ tin,  bent  tin.”  The  criticism  was  but  too  true,  but  its 
severity  wounded  my  pride,  and  I answered,  (taking  up 
the  picture,)  “I  did  not  bring  this  thing  to  you,  Sir 
“ Joshua,  merely  to  be  told  that  it  is  bad ; I was  con- 
“ scious  of  that,  and  how  could  it  be  otherwise,  consid- 
“ ering  the  short  time  I have  studied  ; I had  a hope,  sir, 
“ that  you  would  kindly  have  pointed  out  to  me,  how  to 
“ correct  my  errors.”  I bowed  and  withdrew,  and  was 
cautious  not  again  to  expose  my  imperfect  works  to  the 
criticism  of  Sir  Joshua. 

In  the  summer  of  1785,  I finished,  for  Mr.  West,  a copy 
of  his  glorious  picture  of  the  battle  of  La  Hogue,  on  cloth, 
a few  inches  larger  on  every  side  than  the  original.  This 
work  was  of  inestimable  importance  to  me,  and  soon 
after,  I composed  and  painted  the  picture  of  “Priam 
returning  to  his  family  with  the  dead  body  of  Hector,” 
which  is  now  in  the  Atheneum  at  Boston. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  I was  invited  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Preston  of  Chevening,  in  Kent,  to  pass  a week 
at  his  house,  in  company  with  Mr.  West’s  eldest  son. 
The  library  of  Mr.  Preston  (which  at  his  death  he  be- 
queathed to  the  library  of  Philadelphia,  where  it  now  is) 
was  rich  in  works  relating  to  the  arts,  and  among  others 
were  the  Trajan,  Antonine  and  other  columns,  the  tri- 
umphal arches,  bas-reliefs,  &,c.  &c.,  of  Rome;  these  I 
studied  attentively.  Here  also,  I made  my  first  attempt 
at  the  composition  of  a military  scene,  taken  from  the  war 
of  the  Revolution ; it  was  a small  sketch  in  Indian  ink, 
on  paper,  of  the  death  of  General  Frazer,  at  Behmus’s 
heights ; and  here  I was  introduced  to  the  learned  and 
excellent  Earl  and  Countess  of  Stanhope. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


93 


Upon  my  return  to  town,  I resumed  my  studies  with 
Mr.  West,  and  at  the  academy,  with  ardor ; and  now 
began  to  meditate  seriously  the  subjects  of  national  his- 
tory, of  events  of  the  Revolution,  which  have  since  been 
the  great  objects  of  my  professional  life.  The  death  of 
General  Warren  at  the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  and  of  Gen. 
Montgomery  in  the  attack  on  Quebec,  were  first  decided 
upon.  These  were  the  earliest  important  events  in  point 
of  time,  and  I not  only  regarded  them  as  highly  inter- 
esting passages  of  history,  but  felt,  that  in  painting  them, 
I should  be  paying  a just  tribute  of  gratitude  to  the 
memory  of  eminent  men,  who  had  given  their  lives  for 
their  country.  These  pictures  (which  are  now  in  the 
Gallery  at  New  Haven)  were  both  painted  in  the  room 
of  Mr.  West,  and  when  the  Bunker’s  Hill  was  pretty  far 
advanced,  he  said  to  me  one  day,  “ Trumbull,  will  you 
“ dine  with  me  to-morrow  ? I have  invited  some  of  our 
“ brother  artists,  and  wish  you  to  be  of  the  party.”  He 
received  his  friends  in  his  painting-room,  where  by  his 
direction,  my  picture  was  standing  in  an  advantageous 
light.  Among  the  guests  was  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  and 
when  he  entered  the  room,  he  immediately  ran  up  to 
my  picture, — “ Why,  West,  what  have  you  got  here? — 
“ this  is  better  colored  than  your  works  are  generally.” 
“Sir  Joshua,”  (was  the  reply,)  “you  mistake — that  is 
“ not  mine — it  is  the  work  of  this  young  gentleman,  Mr. 
“ Trumbull ; permit  me  to  introduce  him  to  you.”  Sir 
Joshua  was  at  least  as  much  disconcerted  as  I had  been 
by  the  bent  tin ; the  account  between  us  was  fairly 
balanced. 

Mr.  West  witnessed  the  progress  of  these  two  pictures 
with  great  interest,  and  strongly  encouraged  me  to  per- 
severe in  the  work  of  the  history  of  the  American  revo- 


94 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


lution,  which  I had  thus  commenced,  and  recommended  to 
me,  that  I should  have  the  series  engraved,  by  which 
means,  not  only  would  the  knowledge  of  diem,  and  of 
my  talent,  be  more  widely  diffused,  but  also,  in  small 
sums  from  many  purchasers,  I should  probably  receive 
a more  adequate  compensation  for  my  labor,  than  I could 
hope  from  the  mere  sale  of  the  paintings,  even  at  munifi- 
cent prices.  He  proceeded  to  detail  to  me  a history  of 
his  own  method,  and  of  his  success  in  the  publication 
of  the  engravings  from  his  history  of  England,  and  ex- 
plained to  me,  with  the  kindness  of  a father,  all  the 
intricacies  of  such  an  enterprise — the  choice  of  engravers, 
printers,  publisher,  &x.  &x. 

My  only  objection  to  this  was,  that  the  necessary  super- 
intendence would  require  more  time  and  attention  than 
I was  willing  to  spare,  from  the  direct  pursuit  of  my 
studies.  I was  conscious  of  having  entered  upon  the 
profession  at  too  late  an  hour,  and  feared  to  divert  my 
mind  from  the  unremitted  course  of  study  which  I had 
so  successfully  pursued  during  the  last  two  or  three  years. 
This  objection  was  removed ; Mr.  West  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  an  Italian  artist,  by  the  name  of  Antonio 
di  Poggi,  of  very  superior  talents  as  a draughtsman,  and 
who  had  recently  commenced  the  business  of  publishing. 
He  suggested  that  Mr.  Poggi  might  be  advantageously 
taken  into  connection,  as  the  publisher,  for  which  his 
great  precision  and  elegance  of  drawing  peculiarly  qual- 
ified him.  After  some  reflection,  I determined  to  pursue 
the  course  thus  pointed  out  to  me ; — I entered  into 
an  agreement  with  Mr.  Poggi  for  the  publication  of  the 
two  paintings  now  in  hand ; and  while  he  sought  for 
engravers,  I continued  to  work  upon  the  pictures.  He 
soon  found  that  there  was  not,  at  the  time,  a single 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


95 


engraver  in  England,  disengaged,  of  sufficient  talent  to 
be  safely  employed  in  a work  of  the  first  class,  as  we 
meant  this  to  be ; he  therefore  soon  went  to  the  continent, 
in  pursuit  of  this,  in  connection  with  his  other  affairs ; 
when  the  two  pictures  were  finished,  I took  them  with 
me,  and  joined  him  at  Paris, — with  the  great  object  of 
finding  proper  engravers. 

On  this  occasion,  Mr.  Adams,  (minister  of  the  United 
States  in  London,)  and  other  friends,  gave  me  letters  of 
introduction  to  a number  of  important  persons  in  Paris, 
from  which  I entertained  hopes  of  a pleasant  reception ; 
and  Mr.  Vander  Gucht,  a dealer  in  pictures  in  London, 
requested  me  to  deliver  a letter  to  Mr.  Le  Brun,  his  corres- 
pondent in  Paris ; from  this  I expected  nothing,  as  I had 
little  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Vander  Gucht,  and  supposed 
it  merely  a letter  of  business.  It  happened,  however,  that 
when  I reached  Paris,  every  person  to  whom  the  letters 
of  Mr.  Adams  and  other  friends  were  addressed,  was 
in  the  country,  and  the  letters  of  course  useless,  while 
that  to  Mr.  Le  Brun,  aided  by  the  sight  of  my  pictures, 
made  me  known  to  all  the  principal  artists  and  connois- 
seurs in  Paris. 

In  the  summer  of  1785,  political  duties  had  called  Mr. 
Jefferson,  then  minister  of  the  United  States  in  Paris,  to 
London,  and  there  I became  acquainted  with  him.  He  had 
a taste  for  the  fine  arts,  and  highly  approved  my  intention 
of  preparing  myself  for  the  accomplishment  of  a national 
work.  He  encouraged  me  to  persevere  in  this  pursuit, 
and  kindly  invited  me  to  come  to  Paris,  to  see  and  study 
the  fine  works  there,  and  to  make  his  house  my  home, 
during  my  stay. 

I now  availed  myself  of  this  invitation,  and  went  to  his 
house,  at  the  Grille  de  Chaillot,  where  I was  most  kindly 


96 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


received  by  him.  My  two  paintings,  the  first  fruits  of 
my  national  enterprise,  met  his  warm  approbation,  and 
during  my  visit,  I began  the  composition  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  with  the  assistance  of  his  information 
and  advice. 

Through  the  acquaintance  which  I formed  with  the 
principal  artists,  David  in  particular,  who  became  and 
continued  my  warm  and  efficient  friend,  I had  the  best 
opportunity  of  seeing  all  that  related  to  the  arts,  in  Paris 
and  its  vicinity.  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cosway, 
of  London,  were  in  Paris ; he  (then  the  admired  minia- 
ture painter  of  the  day)  had  been  invited  by  the  Duke 
of  Orleans,  to  paint  the  duchess  and  her  children.  I 
became  acquainted  and  intimate  with  them,  and  availing 
myself  of  all  these  advantages,  I employed  myself,  with 
untiring  industry,  in  examining  and  studying  whatever  had 
relation  to  the  arts.  I kept  a journal  of  each  day’s  occu- 
pation, which  has  narrowly  escaped  perishing  by  damp- 
ness, but  by  considerable  labor  has  been  saved  in  part, 
and  will  form  the  two  following  chapters. 

In  Ma}r,  1777,  immediately  after  my  resignation,  my 
military  accounts  were  audited  and  settled  at  Albany,  by 
the  proper  accounting  officer,  John  Carter.  This  gentle- 
man who,  soon  after,  married  Angelica,  the  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  General  Schuyler,  resided  in  1778  and  1779,  in 
Boston,  where  I was  studying,  and  the  acquaintance 
which  commenced  at  Albany  was  continued.  On  my 
return  from  Europe  in  1782,  he  was  one  of  the  con- 
tractors for  the  supply  of  the  American  and  French 
armies,  in  company  with  my  friend  Col.  Wadsworth  of 
Hartford.  After  the  preliminaries  of  peace  were  signed, 
these  gentlemen  proposed  the  commercial  connection 
which  I declined ; and  when  I resolved  to  return  to  Lon- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


97 


don  for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  arts,  I purchased 
from  Mr.  Carter,  a bill  of  exchange  upon  a banking  house  in 
London,  with  the  full  amount  of  all  my  disposable  means, 
which  were  small  enough  to  begin  such  a course  with. 

In  London,  1784,  my  acquaintance  with  this  gentleman 
was  renewed,  under  the  name  of  John  Barker  Church, 
(Carter  had  been  but  a nom  de  guerre ,)  where  he  lived 
in  great  elegance,  a member  of  Parliament,  & c.  &c. ; and 
although  I was  now  but  a poor  student  of  painting,  and 
he  rich,  honored,  and  associated  with  the  great,  Mr. 
Church  continued  to  treat  me  on  the  footing  of  equality, 
and  I frequently  dined  at  his  table  with  distinguished 
men,  such  as  Sheridan,  &c. 

In  1 786,  Mr.  Church  called  upon  me,  one  morning  very 
early,  and  said,  with  a little  hesitation,  “I  am  glad  to 
“ find  you  at  home  and  alone,  Trumbull ; I wish  to  ask 
“you  a question,  at  which  I hope  you  will  not  take 
“ offense.”  “ Certainly,  my  friend,  you  can  say  nothing 
“ at  which  I can  be  offended.”  “ I wish  to  know  then, 
“ how  your  money  holds  out.”  “ Almost  exhausted.”  “ I 
“ should  think  so ; I cannot  comprehend  how  you  have 
“made  it  last  so  long;  now  do  not  regard  this  as  an 
“ enquiry  of  silly  curiosity ; I hear  very  favorable  accounts 
“ of  your  industry  and  probable  success,  and  was  afraid 
“ that  the  want  of  money  might  oblige  you  either  to  relax 
“ your  studies,  or  to  ask  pecuniary  favors  from  strangers. 
“My  real  business,  therefore,  is  to  ask,  that  you  will 
“ consider  me  as  your  banker,  and  that  whenever  you 
“ may  have  occasion  for  fifty,  one  hundred,  or  five  hun- 
“ dred  pounds,  you  will  go  to  no  one  else,  but  apply  to 
“me,  and  you  shall  always  have  it,  on  your  personal 
“ security.  I shall  ask  no  guarantee  or  endorser — your 
“ simple  receipt  only,  and  five  per  cent,  interest.” 

13 


98 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Instances  of  patronage  like  this,  to  young  men  study- 
ing the  fine  arts,  I presume  are  uncommon,  and  deserve 
to  be  gratefully  remembered.  By  reference  to  my  ac- 
counts at  that  time,  I find  that  I availed  myself  of  my 
friend’s  singular  kindness  to  a considerable  amount,  and 
for  several  years ; and  when  the  account  was  closed  by 
my  final  payment  of  the  balance  due  on  the  5th  of  March, 
1797,  I made  an  entry,  of  which  the  following  is  a copy: 
“ The  kindness  of  Mr.  Church,  in  advancing  me,  at  times 
“ when  my  prospects  were  not  the  most  promising,  and 
“ on  my  personal  security  merely,  the  sums  which  form 
“ the  above  account,  will  forever  deserve  my  most  sincere 
“ acknowledgments ; without  such  aid,  my  subsequent 
“success  would  have  been  checked  by  pecuniary  em- 
“ barrassments. — J.  T.” 


Plot*  4.  • 


/ '*?  (Zcc^y  ' V 


*&y*y 


&-cr?^ 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


99 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Age,  30—1786. 

Journal  of  a visit  made  to  France,  Germany  and  Flanders,  in  the  sum- 
mer and  autumn  of  1786 — Passed  through  Amiens,  Chantilly,  &-c. — 
First  view  of  Paris — Introduction  to  artists,  &c.  through  the  means  of 
my  two  pictures — Versailles,  St.  Cloud,  &,c. — Journal  nearly  ruined  by 
damp — Pass  the  time,  by  invitation,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  the 
American  minister — Towards  the  close  of  our  rambles,  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  Count  du  Moutier,  and  his  sister,  la  Marquise  de 
Brelhon — By  him  introduced  to  the  Count  de  Vergennes,  Mr.  de  Bre- 
teuil,  &c. — Anecdote  of  Madame  de  Bonouil,  and  her  mission  after- 
wards by  Buonaparte  to  the  court  of  Russia — Dinner  (maigre)  in  Lent, 
at  two  celebrated  abbes  in  Passy,  most  luxurious — Draw  pencil 
sketches  in  black  lead  of  various  objects — Views  of  Paris,  &,c.,  fac- 
similes engraved  for  this  work. 

The  facade  of  the  cathedral  of  Abbeville  is  very  good 
Gothic,  but  the  interior  is  entirely  destitute  of  any  orna- 
ment in  sculpture  or  painting  worthy  to  be  remembered. 
At  Moulines,  is  nothing  worth  naming.  At  Amiens,  the  ca- 
thedral is  a noble  Gothic  building ; the  chapels  have  been 
mostly  repaired  and  modernized  within  a few  years ; the 
ornaments  principally  sculpture,  and  some  parts  tolerably 
well,  but  nothing  of  a high  class ; the  pulpit  in  the  body 
of  the  church,  is  worthy  of  notice  for  the  elegance  of  the 
design.  It  is  supported  by  the  four  cardinal  virtues,  large 
as  life,  and  on  the  canopy,  an  angel  holding  the  sacred 
volume,  “ sic  age , ut  vivas,” — the  angel  is  finely  con- 
ceived. A statue  of  St.  Charles  Borromco,  on  the  right 
side  of  the  church,  as  you  enter,  and  near  the  choir,  is 
one  of  the  best  things  here ; the  devotion  with  which  he 
contemplates  the  cross  is  well  conceived  and  executed. 


100 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


A monument  behind  the  great  altar  is  also  good.  Several 
figures  of  the  Virgin,  with  the  infant  Jesus,  are  well  in 
the  disposition  of  the  upper  parts,  but  generally  the  lines 
of  the  lower  part  of  the  figure  are  too  parallel,  straight, 
and  tasteless.  Here  are  also  some  alto-relievos  of  Gothic 
sculpture  in  wood,  lives  of  saints,  &c.,  worthy  to  be 
attended  to ; the  compositions  have  great  simplicity  and 
nature.  Some  others  in  gold,  &c.,  on  the  sides  of  the 
great  altar,  are  shown  as  fine,  but  are  only  tolerable.  In 
painting,  there  is  nothing  worthy  to  be  remembered  ; an 
offering  of  the  three  kings,  by  Parrocel,  is  most  striking, 
but  has  little  real  merit. 

The  stables  of  the  Prince  of  Conde,  at  Chantilly,  are 
said  to  be  the  grandest  in  the  world;  the  architecture 
simple,  and  well  adapted  to  the  purpose  of  the  building, 
the  circus  particularly.  The  fountain  in  the  centre  of  the 
stables  is  a good  design ; the  horses  and  figures  which 
hold  them,  very  well  executed;  the  other  ornaments  of 
stags’  heads,  &c.,  are  well  conceived  and  executed.  The 
chateau  has  nothing  particularly  fine,  in  architecture, 
sculpture  or  painting. 


PARIS. 

The  fa£ade  of  the  old  Louvre  is  fine,  very  fine  indeed ; 
the  very  best  thing  which  I have  as  yet  seen.  The 
Tuilleries  is  the  vilest  possible  jumble  of  antique  and 
and  Gothic,  perfectly,  utterly  bad.  The  Palais  Royal  is 
magnificent,  and  in  good  taste ; Place  de  Louis  quinze, 
so  far  as  regards  the  architecture  of  the  Garde  Meubles 
du  Roi,  is  good,  but  the  effect  of  the  square  is  destroyed, 
by  being  cut  into  numberless  small  parts,  divided  by 
heavy  balustrades  of  stone  and  deep  trenches ; the  little 
abominable  buildings,  like  watchhouses,  are  vile,  and  the 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


101 


statue  itself,  with  its  accompaniments,  bad;  the  horse 
is  the  best  part ; the  caryatides  at  the  angles  of  the 
pedestal  are  vile,  and  the  bas-reliefs  little  better. 

Count  de  Yaudreuil — house  and  furniture  elegant  and 
magnificent  in  a high  degree — few  pictures,  and  mostly 
of  the  modern  French  school;  some  fine  drawings  and 
sketches  by  Rubens  ; Madame  Le  Brun’s  portrait  of  her- 
self, Venus  binding  Cupid,  from  which  the  print  is  done, 
and  some  others,  possess  great  merit ; architecture  and 
figures,  by  Mr.  Robert,  is  a fine  picture,  in  which  the 
aerial  perspective  is  beautiful ; a village  feast,  small,  by 
Le  Prince,  is  better  drawn,  with  more  elegance  of  char- 
acter than  Teniers,  with  great  beauty  of  execution ; Bac- 
chanals, by  Poussin,  very  good. 

Sunday , August  5th . — Went  with  Mr.  Jefferson  and 
others  to  see  the  ceremony  of  crowning  the  rosiere  of 
Sarennes,  a village  near  St.  Cloud,  four  miles  from  Chaillot. 
Every  year,  the  most  amiable,  industrious  and  virtuous 
poor  girl  of  the  parish  *is  elected,  who  is  received  by  all 
the  village,  and  a crowd  of  strangers,  in  the  church  with 
great  solemnity ; the  service  is  performed,  a sermon 
preached,  and  the  ceremony  of  crowning  with  roses  is 
performed,  with  the  benediction  of  a bishop.  The  rosiere 
of  the  year,  with  the  preceding  candidates,  is  arranged 
on  the  right  of  the  bishop — their  parents  and  friends  with 
them ; the  crown  of  flowers  is  placed  by  a little  girl, 
daughter  of  the  seigneur  of  the  parish,  with  the  benedicite 
of  the  bishop,  and  accompanied  by  music;  the  rosiere 
is  then  conducted  home,  attended  by  the  clergy,  music 
and  company,  when  she  receives  three  hundred  livres — 
the  annual  legacy  of  a clergyman,  whose  institution  this  is. 
Returned  to  Paris  on  foot,  over  the  Pont  de  Neuilly,  a 
very  beautiful  stone  bridge  over  the  Seine ; the  floor  of 


102 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


this  bridge  is  horizontal ; it  consists  of  seven  arches, 
which  have  a beautiful  degree  of  lightness ; these  arches, 
which  in  fact  and  intrinsically  are  hemispherical,  are 
sloped  from  one  fourth  of  the  piers  on  each  side  to  the 
outer  face,  so  that  the  arch  externally  appears  to  be  a 
very  flat  ellipse,  but  within  and  under  the  centre  of  the 
bridge,  they  are  hemispheres. 

Monday , 6ih. — Went  with  M.  and  Madame  Houdon, 
to  the  salon  on  the  Boulevards,  to  see  his  little  Diana  in 
marble,  a very  beautiful  figure — an  honor  not  only  to  the 
artist,  but  to  the  country  and  age  in  which  he  lives.  She 
is  represented  as  in  the  chase,  the  bow  in  one  hand,  an 
arrow  in  the  other,  running ; the  countenance  animated 
with  a noble  severity,  a dignity  worthy  the  chastity  and 
virtues  of  the  goddess. 

From  the  salon , went  to  Mr.  Girardon’s,  where  is  a 
beautilul  bronze  of  the  same  figure,  large  as  life,  and 
some  clever  pictures;  several  by  Vernet  were  standing 
in  the  salle  a manger , but  could  not  be  seen.  We  then 
went  to  Mr.  Pinceau’s,  a gentleman  singularly  curious  for 
his  anatomical  preparations  in  wax.  The  human  body 
is  here  seen  modelled  in  wax,  shewing  not  only  the 
external  muscles,  and  the  vessels  of  the  heart  and  viscera, 
but  likewise  the  internal  distribution  of  the  arteries,  &c. 
You  here  may  see,  also,  the  anatomy  of  various  animals, 
both  skeletons  and  injected  blood-vessels ; the  various 
states  of  an  egg,  until  it  becomes  a chicken,  &c.  &,c. 

The  Bibliotheque  du  Roi. — Here  are  a great  number  of 
curious  works;  busts  of  Voltaire,  Franklin,  de  Suffrein, 
&lc.  The  library  is  open  every  Tuesday  and  Friday,  to 
all  who  choose  to  read ; the  books,  a vast  collection,  are 
generally  old  and  worn.  The  Parnassus  of  France  is 
here  seen,  in  sculpture, — a rock,  steep,  rugged,  and  diffi- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


103 


cult  of  ascent ; Pegasus  at  the  top  ; and  at  various  points 
of  the  ascent,  little  statues  of  the  elegant  and  favorite 
French  poets,  prettily  enough  conceived,  and  some  parts 
beautifully  executed.  The  great  globes,  twenty  or  twenty 
five  feet  in  diameter,  are  very  fine.  Here  also  are  many 
models  of  machines  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Orleans, 
which  are  placed  here  while  the  Palais  Royal  is  repairing ; 
they  represent  various  manufactures,  as  mills,  furnaces, 
glass-houses,  China  works,  &c.  &c. 

From  the  Bibliotheque  du  Roi,  we  went  to  the  Salle 
des  Antiques,  in  the  old  Louvre,  where  are  the  statues, 
casts,  bas-reliefs,  &c.  of  the  Academy.  The  casts  from 
some  of  the  antique  statues  which  are  deposited  here, 
are  very  fine,  and  there  are  some  statues  in  marble  of 
modern  men,  of  great  merit,  particularly  that  of  Tourville, 
by  Houdon ; this  has  a grandeur  and  simplicity  about  it 
worthy  of  any  age ; the  air  and  dress  of  the  head  in  par- 
ticular are  charming.  In  fact,  here  is  a collection  worthy 
of  a great  nation,  but  kept  in  a state  of  dirt  and  disorder 
that  would  disgrace  a plaster-shop ; many  of  the  fine 
things  are  broken  and  mutilated,  and  the  whole  has  the 
appearance  of  having  never  been  cleaned,  since  they 
were  deposited  there. 

Hence  to  the  apartments  of  the  Academy  in  the  Louvre, 
through  the  Hall  of  the  Farnese  Hercules,  so  named  from 
an  admirable  cast  of  the  statue,  which  adorns  this  room ; 
— to  the  Salle  du  Conseil,  which,  with  the  antichamber 
through  which  you  pass,  is  adorned  with  the  morceaux 
de  reception  and  portraits  of  the  academicians  of  the  in- 
stitution ; among  them  are  many  fine  things,  but  not  in 
that  careful  preservation  which  could  be  wished. 

We  then  went  to  the  Gallery  of  the  Academy,  in 
which  are  the  battles  of  Alexander,  by  Le  Brun ; in  point 


104 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


of  composition,  these  are  among  the  finest  things  which 
have  ever  been  produced — perhaps  the  finest . The  draw- 
ing is  good,  though  the  style  of  the  figures  is  heavy, 
and  the  coloring  unpleasant  in  a high  degree.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  see  these  superb  things  to  any  advantage,  as  the 
morceaux  de  reception  of  several  living  artists  are  standing 
on  easels  before  them ; among  these,  Madame  Le  Brun’s 
Peace  and  Plenty  holds  a conspicuous  rank ; the  coloring 
is  very  brilliant  and  pleasing.  Chiron  teaching  Achilles 
the  use  of  the  bow,  is  a very  good  picture,  by  M.  Rey- 
naud ; the  body  of  Achilles  beautiful,  both  in  drawing 
and  color ; the  head  not  quite  so  well,  something  in  the 
outline  of  the  right  cheek  and  eye  seems  incorrect,  but 
the  action  and  expression  of  both  figures  are  well  under- 
stood. Andromache  lamenting  the  death  of  Hector,  by 
David,  is  a picture  of  much  merit,  with  some  defects ; 
the  style  of  the  drapery  is  too  little,  too  much  cut  up ; 
the  expression  well,  and  the  drawing  pretty  good.  These 
are  the  best  of  the  present  artists.  The  rooms  in  which 
the  students  draw  from  the  life,  of  which  there  are  two, 
are  much  smaller,  and  less  convenient  than  that  in  Lon- 
don. The  specimens  of  sculpture  which  we  see  here, 
are  much  superior  to  the  painting.  The  apartments  of 
the  Academy  are  extensive  and  princely,  but  kept  in 
very  bad  order.  In  one  of  the  model  rooms,  is  a small 
picture  by  a young  man,  just  gone  to  study  at  Rome, 
which  has  much  simplicity  and  nature ; it  gives  fair 
promise  of  future  excellence.  It  is  a style  of  which  one 
may  venture  to  say,  that  assiduous  study  will  improve  into 
the  dignity  of  Poussin. 

From  the  Academy,  went  to  the  Palais  Royal,  where 
we  found  workmen  employed  in  taking  down  the  old 
gallery,  in  order  to  rebuild  the  whole,  in  a modern  style ; 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


105 


the  pictures  taken  down,  and  placed  in  the  middle  of 
each  room,  on  great  easels,  and  obliquely  to  the  light, 
resting  partly  upon  each  other,  and  with  such  small  inter- 
vals that  it  was  impossible  to  view  the  large  pictures  with 
any  advantage  or  satisfaction.  The  collection  is  most 
princely ; the  best  works  of  the  first  masters  are  to  be 
found  here — the  Sacraments,  by  Poussin — Murder  of  the 
Innocents,  by  Le  Brun — the  Cupid  making  his  Bow,  by 
Correggio — the  dead  Christ,  by  Annibal  Caracci — sketches 
and  pictures,  by  Rubens,  in  profusion — the  best  things  of 
Teniers — in  short,  the  best  works  of  every  great  man. 
Few  however  of  these  fine  works  can  be  advantageously 
seen,  while  the  apartments  remain  in  their  present  state 
of  disorder.  Here  is  also  a duplicate  or  copy  of  the 
head  of  Christ  crowned  with  thorns,  which  Mr.  West 
possesses,  but  if  by  Guido,  certainly  very  much  inferior  to 
that,  in  color,  execution  and  expression.  The  Annibal 
Caracci  is  superb,  but  I think  not  quite  equal  in  color, 
execution  or  preservation  to  that  of  M.  Au  Frere ; but  in 
composition,  it  will  scarcely  be  thought  inferior.  Le  Bran’s 
Murder  of  the  Innocents  is  terribly  fine ; maternal  horror 
and  distress  are  too  wonderfully  represented. 

From  the  Palais  Royal  we  went  to  the  new  church  of 
St.  Genevieve ; it  is  unfinished,  but  the  entrance  at  the 
grand  portico  is  really  in  a fine  style  of  architecture,  and 
to  judge  from  that  part  of  the  interior  from  which  the 
scaffolding  is  removed,  and  which  is  nearly  finished,  the 
whole  will  be  one  of  the  most  elegant  works  in  Europe. 
The  general  plan  appears  to  resemble  St.  Stephen’s,  Wal- 
brook,  but  on  a much  larger  scale;  all  the  ornaments 
are  intended  to  be  of  sculpture  only,  in  white  stone ; no 
paintings  are  to  be  admitted  in  the  church.  The  exterior 
has  much  novelty  and  elegance. 

14 


106 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


To  the  church  of  the  Carmelites ; rich  without  taste ; 
several  large  pictures  by  Champagne ; one  said  to  be  by 
Guido,  the  Visitation  of  the  Virgin,  very  unworthy  of  so 
great  a name,  except  the  head  of  the  Virgin,  and  two 
little  angels  over  her.  The  Magdalen  of  Le  Brun,  Mad- 
ame de  la  Valiere,  is  a charming  picture;  the  coloring 
much  superior  to  that  of  his  works  in  general.  Here  are 
also  one  or  two  large  pictures,  said  to  be  by  his  hand, 
but  very  inferior. 

Tuesday , August  1th . — Went  to  the  house  of  the  Count 
D’Orsay,  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  superb  in  Paris;  it  is 
in  truth  overloaded  with  elegance ; the  furniture  is  ex- 
pensive and  rich,  to  a fault ; the  eye  can  find  no  rest ; 
the  windows,  in  one  of  the  apartments  looking  upon  the 
garden,  are  of  plate  glass,  only  two  pieces  in  each.  The 
picture  room  contains  the  most  beautiful  collection  of 
perfect  little  things  that  I have  ever  seen  together ; the 
Visitation  of  the  Virgin,  by  Rubens — the  taking  down 
from  the  Cross,  by  Rembrandt — an  Infant  Saviour,  by 
Vandyck — are  superb.  Teniers,  Paul  Potter,  Wouver- 
mans,  Mieris,  Metzu,  Netscher,  Van  Oort,  &,c.  &c.,  have 
precious  specimens  here.  Small  bronze  copies  of  the 
finest  antique  statues,  the  choicest  porcelain,  &c.  &c. 
literally  crowd  every  apartment.  The  dining  room  is 
magnificent,  ornamented  with  marble  copies  of  some  of 
the  best  antiques ; the  columns  which  separate  the  win- 
dows are  of  green  and  white  marble ; the  windows  are 
of  plate  glass,  of  prodigious  size;  but  in  my  opinion,  this 
room  has  one  inexcusable  fault, — it  looks  upon  the  court 
yard,  where  is  all  the  dirty  business  of  the  stables,  &c., 
objects  far  from  pleasing  to  contemplate,  in  convivial  hours. 

From  the  Maison  D’Orsay,  to  the  Hotel  des  Invalides. 
This  is  a noble  institution ; the  buildings  are  extensive 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


107 


and  well  planned,  equal  to  the  accommodation  of  six 
thousand  men ; at  present,  there  are  only  four  thousand 
seven  hundred.  The  church  in  which  the  service  is  per- 
formed is  plain ; through  it  you  pass  to  the  dome,  which 
is  truly  one  of  the  most  beautiful  pieces  of  architecture 
in  this  kind  that  has  hitherto  been  executed.  It  is  light 
and  airy  in  its  proportions — the  sculpture  well  wrought 
— the  paintings  barely  tolerable — the  whole  clean  and 
well  kept — the  four  chapels,  in  the  angles  of  the  dome, 
are  very  elegant  and  rich ; but  among  all  the  paintings, 
whether  of  the  chapels  or  the  dome,  there  is  nothing 
worthy  of  much  attention.  The  centre  of  the  dome  is  the 
best,  and  in  one  apartment  adjoining  the  Salle  du  Conseil 
there  is  a small  picture,  said  to  be  the  original  design 
from  which  this  centre  was  painted,  which  is  very  well, 
much  better  in  truth  than  the  great  work.  The  Salle  du 
Conseil  contains  a number  of  portraits  of  great  men,  but 
in  general  intolerably  bad. 

Passy . — The  view  of  Paris  from  the  house  formerly 
occupied  by  Dr.  Franklin  is  very  beautiful.  La  Muette, 
a small  house  of  the  king,  is  pretty;  Madrid,  an  old 
Chateau  near  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  built  by  Francis  the 
1st,  in  great  Gothic  grandeur,  to  elude  a parole  which 
he  had  given  to  remain  a prisoner  at  Madrid ; the  Pont 
de  Neuilly  is  still  more  beautiful  at  a second  view  than  at 
the  first. 

Wednesday , August  8th. — Went  with  the  Marquis  Trotti 
to  M.  Houdon’s,  and  afterwards  to  MM.  Martinis  and  Giit- 
tenberg’s.  Proposal  made  to  Guttenberg  to  come  to  Eng- 
land, to  engrave  one  of  my  pictures, — a plain,  honest 
German,  industrious,  and  ambitious  of  fame,  and  one  of 
the  best  engravers  at  present  in  France.  Thence  to  the 
church  of  Notre  Dame — Gothic,  but  not  the  grand  style ; 


108 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


ornamented  with  many  paintings  of  the  French  school, 
of  which  no  one  made  sufficient  impression  upon  me  to 
be  particularly  remembered  ; they  appeared  to  be  not 
above  mediocrity.  To  the  church  of  St.  Sulpice — Grecian 
architecture,  but  heavy,  clumsy,  and  unpleasing ; some 
pictures,  but  none  of  a high  class ; St.  Jerome,  in  the 
first  chapel  on  your  right,  as  you  enter  the  church,  is  a 
finely  colored  picture,  but  incorrect  in  the  drawing,  and 
there  is  a Nativity  in  a chapel  near  the  choir,  still  on 
the  right  hand,  which  I could  not  approach  near  enough 
to  see  well,  but  it  appeared  to  be  a sweet  thing,  and 
over  it  was  another  small  picture  of  three  half  figures ; the 
Creator  and  two  Angels  adoring,  which,  at  the  distance 
from  which  I saw  it,  had  a very  good  effect,  and  beautiful 
color. 

Thursday , August  9/A. — Went  to  the  Luxembourg  pal- 
ace with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cosway,  Mons.  Belesaire,  architecte 
du  Roi,  the  Marquis  Trotti,  &c.  & c.  Saw  the  Gallery 
of  Mary  de  Medici,  painted  by  Rubens — the  Empire  of 
Color,  Allegory,  and  Composition.  The  gallery  is  in  so 
decayed  a state  as  to  be  supported  by  props,  to  prevent 
its  falling  ; the  pictures  want  cleaning,  the  varnish  being 
so  chilled  as  to  destroy,  in  a great  degree,  their  effect,  but 
still  enough  is  visible  to  charm  every  spectator.  The 
Death  of  Henry  is  in  the  best  state,  and  is  indeed  a 
model  of  grandeur  in  composition,  and  of  splendor  of  col- 
oring ; the  richness,  the  glow,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
truth  of  color  and  effect,  is  wonderful,  and  the  drawing 
generally  more  correct  than  I had  been  taught  to  expect. 
The  picture  at  the  end  of  the  gallery — France — is  the 
most  perfect  of  all,  and  appears  to  have  been  painted 
entirely  by  the  hand  of  Rubens  ; splendor  and  harmony 
are  here  wonderfully  united — the  truth  of  nature,  and  the 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


109 


glow  of  a nature  superior  to  ours.  From  the  condition 
in  which  the  building  is  at  present,  there  is  great  difficulty 
in  obtaining  permission  to  see  the  paintings ; Mr.  Cos- 
way obtained  it  through  Madame  de  Polignac,  and  I owe 
this  almost  greatest  pleasure  I ever  received  from  the 
arts,  to  his  politeness.  In  the  other  parts  of  the  palace 
there  is  nothing  of  art  worth  seeing.  The  gardens  are 
pleasant,  but  as  well  as  the  building,  very  much  out  of 
repair. 

Went  thence  to  the  apartments  of  the  Sieur  David,  in 
the  old  Louvre;  took  the  liberty  to  introduce  myself; 
found  him  a pleasant,  plain,  sensible  man  of  perhaps  thirty 
five  or  forty  years  of  age.  Found  a picture  finished  of 
the  three  Horatii  receiving  their  swords  from  their  father, 
and  swearing  to  use  them  bravely  in  the  service  of  their 
country,  before  their  famous  battle  with  the  three  Sam- 
nites ; figures  large  as  life,  the  story  well  told,  drawing 
pretty  good,  coloring  cold; — Belisarius  receiving  alms, 
likewise  large  as  life — as  well  composed  and  drawn  as 
the  other,  and  better  colored. 

Again  went  to  the  apartments  of  the  Academy — mag- 
nificence, neglected  and  decaying.  The  pictures  of  Le 
Brun  are  by  no  means  so  pleasing  as  the  prints ; the  col- 
oring is  all  that  is  bad,  and  after  seeing  such  works  of 
Rubens,  quite  insufferable ; the  flesh  is  a dirty,  brick  dust 
red — shadows  more  heated  than  the  light — violent  red 
near  the  extremities  of  the  pictures,  and  even  in  the 
distances ; in  short,  while  they  have  infinite  merit  as 
compositions,  and  great  in  point  of  drawing,  they  are,  as 
colored  pictures,  bad  as  possible. 

Thence,  to  the  Jardin  du  Roi.  The  collection  of  plants 
is  very  great,  beautifully  disposed,  and  kept  in  perfect 
order ; the  cabinet  of  natural  history  perfectly  arranged, 


110 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


but,  if  what  I saw  be  the  whole,  by  no  means  so  extensive 
or  various  as  that  of  Sir  Ashton  Lever. 

Friday , August  10 th. — Went  to  the  Sorbonne.  The 
church  is  very  good  architecture ; no  paintings  worthy 
of  much  notice.  The  monument  of  Cardinal  Richelieu  is 
finely  conceived  and  executed ; the  figure  of  Science 
weeping  at  his  feet,  is,  of  all  the  marble  I ever  saw,  the 
most  expressive ; it  is  the  only  thing  of  this  kind  which 
ever  forced  an  involuntary  tear  from  my  eye — such  dig- 
nity of  sorrow,  yet  so  simple  and  unaffected,  so  directly 
addressed  to  all  the  tender  feelings,  that  the  heart  which 
does  not  melt  before  it,  must  be  still  harder  and  more 
cold  than  the  marble.  In  one  of  the  halls  for  disputation 
is  a whole  length  portrait  of  the  Cardinal,  very  finely 
painted,  and  worthy  of  Vandyck  ; this  hall  contains  many 
other  pictures,  unworthy  to  be  remembered.  Here,  two 
learned  young  men  were  carrying  on  a most  edifying 
theological  dispute  in  Latin,  upon  the  merits  of  Judas 
and  the  degree  of  his  sins,  before  two  grave  doctors,  who 
sat  wisely  nodding  over  their  theses,  and  a most  attentive 
audience,  consisting  of  one  young  man. 

Went  again  to  the  church  of  St.  Genevieve,  and  through 
every  part  of  it,  to  the  highest  scaffolding  of  the  dome, 
the  inner  columns  of  which  seemed  just  carried  up  to 
their  height,  and  the  workmen  laying  up  the  arches  of 
the  intercolumniations,  which  are  to  form  the  windows ; 
the  external  colonnade  was  carried  to  about  half  its  height 
— the  diameter  of  its  columns  here  is  about  four  feet ; to 
the  summit  of  the  dome,  above  what  is  now  finished, 
will  be  near  one  hundred  feet.  The  view  of  Paris  from 
this  highest  scaffolding  is  magnificent  and  vast ; it  was  a 
very  fine  day,  so  that  the  eye,  without  interruption,  wan- 
dered over  the  immense  extent  of  buildings,  which  lay 


* 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


Ill 


beneath  it.  The  Tuilleries,  the  Louvre,  with  the  church  of 
Notre  Dame,  St.  Sulpice,  the  dome  of  the  Invalides,  the 
Bastile,  the  Salpetriere,  Val  de  Grace,  and  a vast  number 
of  inferior  buildings,  towering  above  the  dwelling  houses. 
The  extent  of  the  city ; the  vast  and  opulent  country, 
terminating  partly  in  rough  and  broken  hills,  partly  in  a 
fine  champaign,  ornamented  with  the  palaces  of  Meudon 
and  St.  Cloud ; the  aqueduct  of  Marly,  the  convent  of 
Mount  Calvaire,  and  a number  of  other  splendid  buildings, 
form  altogether  a coup  d’ceil  entirely  superior  to  any  thing 
I have  heretofore  seen. 

Dined  to-day  (the  10th)  atMons.  Le  Brun’s,  the  Count 
Vaudreuil,  M.  Menagiot,  Le  Brun  Paine,  &c.  &c.  Mad- 
ame Le  Brun  is  one  of  the  most  charming  women  I ever 
saw  ; her  pictures  have  great  merit,  particularly  a portrait 
of  herself  and  her  daughter,  which  is  not  yet  finished ; 
in  the  composition  of  this  picture  there  is  a simplicity  and 
sweetness  worthy  of  any  artist,  and  a brilliancy  of  col- 
oring quite  charming.  Among  female  names,  Angelica 
alone  can  come  in  any  competition  with  Madame  Le  Brun. 
After  dinner,  the  Sieur  David,  with  one  of  his  friends, 
did  me  the  honor  to  visit  my  pictures ; his  commendation, 
I fear,  was  too  much  dictated  by  politeness. 

Saturday,  August  11. — Breakfasted  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cosway,  M.  D’Hancharville,  M.  Belesaire,  Marquis  Trotti, 
&lc.  Went  to  Madame  Guyard’s — a plain,  diverting  wo- 
man ; thence  to  M.  Vincent  in  the  Louvre,  a very  elegant 
gentleman  and  good  artist ; saw  his  picture  of  Poetus  and 
Arria, — full  of  expression  and  energy  ; — also  his  Henry 
IV,  of  France,  meeting  Sully  wounded, — the  characters 
good,  drawing  fine,  coloring  a little  weak,  effect  too 
broken  and  eparpille,  but  close  attention  to  the  costume 
of  the  time,  and  great  propriety  and  simplicity  of  action 


112 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


and  expression.  From  M.  Vincent’s,  I went  to  see  M. 
Pajou,  sculptor,  in  the  Louvre ; his  works  (a  mon  avis) 
by  no  means  equal  to  those  of  Houdon ; — thence  to  M. 
Boileau,  and  M.  Paillet. 

August  \2th. — Went  to  Versailles,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cosway,  MM.  D’Hancharville,  Poggi,  Bulfinch,  Coffin, 
&lc. — quite  undress, — the  chapel,  antichamber,  gallery, 
&c.,  magnificent  in  the  highest  degree.  Saw  here  the 
whole  length  portrait  of  King  Charles  I,  engraved  by 
Strange — the  most  perfect  and  loveliest  of  Vandyck’s 
portraits  that  has  come  to  my  view.  In  the  same  apart- 
ment are  three  Labors  of  Hercules,  by  Guido,  very  fine ; 
that  with  the  hydra  almost  the  same  as  Ralph  West’s 
etching,  the  upper  part  of  the  figure  perfectly  the  same. 
Adoration  of  the  Kings,  by  Rubens,  an  admirable  com- 
position ; the  expression  and  color  of  the  old  man’s  head 
in  the  centre  is  particularly  fine,  and  a black  face  of  vast 
dignity.  A Holy  Family,  by  Vandyck,  is  very  fine.  In 
other  apartments,  we  saw  the  works  of  Paul  Veronese,  of 
the  Caracci,  Le  Brun ; particularly  the  Tent  of  Darius,  so 
much  admired  by  the  French.  The  composition  is  un- 
doubtedly very  fine,  but  the  drawing  in  some  parts  not 
correct,  especially  the  right  arm  of  Alexander ; it  is  too 
small  for  the  character,  or  even  for  the  other  parts  of  the 
figure  ; the  coloring,  as  in  the  other  pictures  of  this  series, 
utterly  bad ; the  characters  and  expression  are  all  good — 
some  of  them  admirable.  I cannot  like  Paul  Veronese ; 
his  outline  is  so  universally  and  equally  hard,  that  his 
figures  have  the  appearance  of  being  cut  out  in  pasteboard, 
and  stuck  upon  the  canvass ; his  local  colors  are  certainly 
fine.  In  this  apartment  one  of  his  famous  works  hangs, 
as  the  companion  of  the  Tent  of  Darius ; but  I cannot 
like  it — his  characters  are  often  vulgar. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


113 


The  gallery  looking  over  the  gardens,  is  most  splendid ; 
the  material,  solid  variegated  marble  ; the  ornaments  are 
bronze  gilt,  the  statues  marble,  and  very  fine ; the  view 
from  the  windows,  magnificently  beautiful.  The  apart- 
ments of  Madame  Adelaide  are  simple  and  elegant ; her 
workshop,  in  which  she  is  alternately  joiner,  carver, 
turner,  engraver,  &c.,  is  curious  and  complete.  The  apart- 
ments of  the  royal  children,  neat  and  simple ; the  dauphin 
is  a beautiful  boy ; Madame,  no  beauty,  but  pleasing ; 
Monsieur,  very  young  and  pretty.  The  theatre  is  very 
elegant,  after  designs  by  Le  Brun,  the  ornaments  are 
principally  figures  in  bas-relief,  gilt,  and  very  fine. 

In  the  apartments  of  the  Count  D’Angervilliers,  intend - 
ant  des  ponts  et  chaussees , (of  roads  and  bridges,)  is  a 
collection  of  the  most  precious  things  I have  yet  seen  ; a 
Holy  Family  with  Angels,  by  Correggio,  in  fresco,  covered 
with  plate  glass,  in  point  of  taste  and  elegance  is  a most 
lovely  composition ; the  Marriage  of  St.  Catherine  in  oil, 
half  figures,  large  as  life,  an  enchanting  picture — nothing 
can  exceed  the  gracefulness  of  the  three  hands  of  the  Vir- 
gin, St.  Catharine  and  the  Infant — the  coloring  exquisite. 
Titian,  Raphael,  Julio  Romano,  the  three  Caracci,  &c.  &c. 
have  their  pkce  here;  but,  for  color,  composition  and 
expression,  nothing  can  excel  a Rubens.  Lot  and  his 
family  leaving  Sodom — the  tender  regret,  the  pity,  the 
reluctance,  with  which  the  good  old  man  quits  the  place 
where  he  had  so  long  lived,  his  eyes  cast  up  to  heaven, 
as  if  praying  that  even  yet  his  countrymen  might  be 
spared,  is  wonderfully  expressed.  The  amiable,  the  heav- 
enly manner  of  the  angel  who  hastily  leads  him  forward, 
pointing-  to  happier  and  more  virtuous  scenes  ; the  trem- 
bling hesitation  of  the  wife,  who  is  even  urged  forward, 
by  another  heavenly  comforter ; the  beauty  and  resigna- 

15 


114 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


tion  of  one  of  the  daughters,  and  the  meretricious  care- 
lessness of  the  other;  the  heavens  filled  with  ministers  of 
the  divine  vengeance,  urging  on  the  tempest  of  lightning 
and  fire  upon  the  devoted  city,  forms  altogether  a scene, 
the  most  sublime  in  imagination,  the  most  perfect  in  ex- 
pression, and  most  splendid  in  coloring,  that  1 have  ever 
seen  from  this  great  man  ! Vandyck,  Teniers,  &,c.,  com- 
plete this  precious  little  cabinet,  with  their  most  choice 
specimens. 

The  Royal  Collection — Maison  dc  surintcndance — I had 
no  imagination  of  ever  seeing  such  works  in  existence. 
Here  is  Michael  Angelo,  a marble  painted  on  both  sides 
with  the  story  of  David  and  Goliah,  figures  large  as  life, 
and  in  perfect  preservation  ; for  grandeur  and  correctness 
of  drawing,  admirable, — action,  expression  and  composi- 
tion, very  fine,  but  the  color  not  to  be  mentioned.  Of 
Leonardo  da  Vinci,  here  are  several  heads  and  in  perfect 
preservation ; and  the  picture,  of  which  the  sketch  is  at 
Somerset  House,  a charming  composition.  Here  too  is 
the  famous  Holy  Family  by  Raphael,  engraved  by  Ede- 
linck.  This  exquisite  work  was  painted  on  wood,  which 
was  perishing  by  worms  and  decay ; it  has  been  trans- 
ferred to  canvass  lately,  as  well  as  many  others,  and  is 
perfectly  and  successfully  cleaned,  and  in  fine  preserva- 
tion. Another  large  picture,  and  several  small  ones  by 
him,  are  also  here.  Titian  has  several  fine  heads.  The 
Caracci,  Guido,  Julio  Romano,  Paul  Veronese,  Tintorct, 
Rubens,  Vandyck,  Teniers,  Berghem,  &c.  &x.,  have  here 
fine  things.  The  collection  is  in  fact  composed  of  the 
finest  works  of  the  first  masters,  many  of  which  are  in 
perfect  condition  ; and  much  care  seems  to  have  been 
and  to  be  taken,  to  restore  and  preserve  those  which  were 
in  a decaying  state.  Some  of  the  finest  pictures,  partic- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBCJLL. 


115 


ularly  of  Raphael,  which  had  been  done  on  wood,  (thick 
plank,)  were  in  a very  bad  state,  and  the  world  owes 
much  to  the  man,  whose  ingenuity  has  discovered  a 
method  of  transferring  them  to  canvass.  By  this  means 
many  are  perfectly  restored,  and  in  a state  to  endure  to 
future  ages,  for  them  to  admire  and  imitate. 

The  gardens  of  Versailles  must  be  seen;  they  cannot 
be  described.  I had  expected  to  see  immense  monu- 
ments of  labor  and  bad  taste,  where  nature  was  over- 
whelmed in  art ; but  I was  disappointed.  There  is 
much  more  of  nature  than  I expected ; and  the  art, 
though  perhaps  too  lavish,  yet  so  vast,  so  magnificent,  as 
to  bear  down  all  criticism.  The  orangerie  is  a noble 
work,  worthy  of  those  days  when  the  baths  of  Rome  were 
erected;  the  approach  to  the  Egyptian  statue,  (which  is 
fine,)  has  the  gloomy  solemnity  and  grandeur  of  an  ancient 
temple.  The  bath  of  Apollo  is  very  fine,  both  in  idea 
and  execution  ; the  petit  bosquet  in  which  it  is  enclosed 
is  charming.  The  Fountain  of  the  Giants  has  grandeur 
of  imagination,  and  the  beautiful  fairy-like  scene,  where 
the  court  sometimes  dance,  surrounded  with  trees  and 
flowers — the  colonnade  with  its  numerous  fountains — the 
grand  cascade,  are  all  delightful.  The  evening  was  ad- 
vancing, and  the  growing  obscurity  of  twilight  left  the 
imagination  at  liberty  to  vary  and  veil  the  forms  of  objects 
to  suit  its  own  taste.  We  left  the  gardens  at  half  past 
eight,  and  were  in  Paris  a little  after  ten,  most  heartily 
fatigued.  I had  indeed  seen  too  much.  It  was  an  effort 
of  no  little  difficulty  to  recall  even  the  imperfect  traces  of 
memory,  which  I endeavor  here  to  preserve. 

Monday,  August  13 th — Again  at  the  Louvre  ; saw  the 
part  of  the  Royal  Collection  which  is  there ; among  them 
are  numberless  inestimable  things.  Rubens,  his  wife  and 


116 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


two  children,  a beautiful  small  sketch  which  was  some- 
time since  in  England,  and  for  which  the  king  paid  one 
thousand  pounds,  is  here  ; a very  fine  portrait  by  Vandyck, 
some  sweet  things  by  Teniers,  seven  specimens  of  the 
Chevalier  Vanderwer,  from  the  collection  of  Sir  Gregory 
Page.  Wouvermans,  Berghem,  Vandervelde,  Ostade, 
Rembrandt,  &c.  &c.,  are  here  in  such  numbers  as  to 
fatigue  the  eye,  and  all  of  the  very  first  class.  In  another 
apartment,  among  many  fine  things,  is  the  martyrdom  of 
a saint,  (I  think  Hubert,)  by  Rubens ; figures  larger  than 
life,  grand  and  terrible  in  the  highest  degree.  They  have 
cut  out  the  tongue  of  the  sainted  bishop,  and  one  of  the 
executioners  gives  it  to  a dog  ; the  head  of  the  saint, 
and  that  of  the  villain  who  has  the  bloody  knife  in  his 
mouth,  are  wonderfully  fine.  Another  apartment  contains 
Poussin’s  pictures  of  the  elements,  of  which  water  or  the 
Deluge,  is  generally  considered  a very  fine  work ; a very 
beautiful  landscape  by  Rubens — an  assumption  of  the 
Virgin  by  a multitude  of  little  angels,  exquisitely  colored, 
and  his  famous  boors  merry  making,  in  the  manner  of 
Teniers.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  things  imaginable, 
for  color,  composition,  character,  humor  and  landscape — 
painted  on  pannel,  and  in  perfect  preservation.  The  sea- 
ports of  France,  by  Vernet,  and  many  fine  things  of  the 
Italian  and  Flemish  schools,  are  here. 

Dined,  in  company  with  Mr.  Jefferson,  at  the  Abbes 
Chassi  and  Arnout  in  Passy  ; a jour  maigre , or  fast  day, 
but  the  luxury  of  the  table  in  soups,  fish  and  fruits,  truly 
characteristic  of  the  opulent  clergy  of  the  times.  After 
dinner,  visited  Madame  De  Corny. 

Tuesday , August  14 th. — Morning,  visited  Mons.  David, 
and  Mons.  Julien,  sculptor;  afternoon,  the  Count  Vau- 
dreuil,  Madame  Le  Brun,  MM.  Menageot,  D’Hancharville, 


i 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


117 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cosway,  &c. ; saw  the  pictures,  and  had 
the  politeness  to  commend  them. 

Wednesday , August  1 5th. — At  mass  at  the  Eglise  St. 
Roch,  with  M.  Boileau,  to  hear  M.  Balbastre ; introduced 
to  him.  Dined  with  the  Count  de  Vaudreuil,  in  company 
with  Madame  Le  Brun,  the  Abbe  St.  Nom,  Count  Parois, 
M.  Menageot,  M.  Robert,  and  others. 

Thursday , August  1 6th. — Saw  at  M.  Massard’s,  the 
Murder  of  the  Innocents,  a copy  from  Rubens,  and 
touched  by  himself— a wonderful  composition.  Went 
again  to  the  Palais  Royal ; saw  an  admirable  landscape 
by  Rubens;  Hampton  Court;  King  Charles  I,  in  the 
character  of  St.  George,  protecting  his  queen  from  the 
dragon,  spectators,  &c., — beautiful  works  of  Correggio, 
Raphael,  Titian,  Guido,  &c. 

Friday , August  17 th. — The  Count  de  Moustier,  Mar- 
quis Cubiere,  M.  D’Hancharville,  M.  Boileau,  called  to 
see  my  pictures — expressions  of  great  civility.  Went  to 
see  the  collection  of  the  Duke  de  Praslin ; some  exquisite 
pictures  by  Murillo,  &c. ; the  most  extraordinary  Rem- 
brandt I have  met  with ; Gerard  Dow,  Teniers,  Count 
, M.  Robert,  &c.  saw  my  pictures.  * * * * 

Saturday , August  18 th. — Visited  Sir  John  Lambert’s 
collection — a fine  portrait  by  Vandyck  ; a very  fine  Te- 
niers, himself,  wife  and  family,  near  his  house ; a Holy 
Family,  by  Rubens ; a Visitation,  by  M.  Fragonard,  a most 
striking  picture,  small;  the  effect  aerial,  mystical,  &c. — 
cost  three  hundred  pounds. 

August  19 th. — Here  my  manuscript  fails  me ; I pre- 
sume that  one  if  not  two  sheets,  have  perished  en- 
tirely. Of  the  next  fragment,  one  half  of  four  pages  are 
consumed  vertically ; that  is,  half  of  each  line  only  remains. 
This  begins  with  the  10th  of  September,  commencing 


118 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


my  journey  to  Frankfort.  I very  much  regret  the  loss 
of  these  twenty  days ; for,  after  fifty  years,  memory  un- 
aided, can  do  little  to  restore  the  chasm.  1 distinctly 
recollect,  however,  that  this  time  was  occupied  with  the 
same  industry  in  examining  and  reviewing  whatever 
relates  to  the  arts,  and  that  Mr.  Jefferson  joined  our  party 
almost  daily ; and  here  commenced  his  acquaintance  with 
Mrs.  Cosway,  of  whom  very  respectful  mention  is  made 
in  his  published  correspondence.  In  the  course  of  this 
interval,  I became  acquainted  with  the  Count  de  Moustier, 
afterwards  minister  to  the  United  States,  and  his  sister, 
the  Marquise  de  Brethon.  She  was  a most  interesting 
little  woman,  who  had  been  married  to  an  abandoned 
brute,  with  whom  it  was  impossible  for  any  woman  of 
delicacy,  or  of  any  sense  of  virtue,  to  live.  She  was 
therefore  separated  from  him,  and  went  with  the  Count, 
her  brother,  soon  after  to  the  United  States,  where  she 
became  unpopular  in  consequence  of  her  dispirited,  retired, 
melancholy  manners,  which,  if  her  domestic  history  had 
been  known,  would,  I trust,  have  endeared  her  to  my  fair 
countrywomen. 

By  M.  de  Moustier,  I was  presented  to  the  Count  de 
Yergennes,  the  Baron  Breteuil,  and  other  great  men  of 
the  day.  I became  known  also  to  the  Marquis  de  Biceore, 
and  de  Cubiere,  who  married  a beautiful  young  woman, 
daughter  of  the  Countess  de  Bonouil,  herself  one  of  the 
most  splendid  women  I ever  met,  and  moving  at  this  time 
in  the  first  and  highest  orders  of  society.  In  1795,  being 
in  Paris  soon  after  the  death  of  the  miscreant  Robespierre, 
I found  the  beautiful  Madame  de  Bonouil  in  an  obscure 
garret,  with  barely  the  means  of  existence.  In  1799,  I 
met  her  in  London,  living  in  a pretty  house  near  Hyde 
Park,  apparently  at  her  ease.  Soon  after  she  was  sent  to 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


119 


St.  Petersburg  by  Buonaparte,  who  knew  well  how  to 
choose  his  agents.  She  was  there  at  the  coronation  of  the 
Emperor  Alexander,  and  wrote  to  her  court  the  following 
account  of  the  ceremony : “ UEmpereur  y marchoit  en 
“ grand  procession . Les  assassins  de  son  pere  le  prece - 
“ doient.  Ceux  de  son  grand  pere  le  suivoient.  Et  les  siens 
“ Ventourent  de  tout  part."  (The  Emperor  walked  in  grand 
procession.  The  assassins  of  his  father  walked  before 
him.  Those  of  his  grandfather  followed  him.  And  his 
own  surrounded  him  on  all  sides.)  This  letter  was  inter- 
cepted, and  the  beautiful  diplomatist  was  conducted  in 
safety  to  the  frontiers,  and  there  dismissed,  with  the 
injunction  never  to  enter  the  Russian  dominions  again, 
under  penalty  of  losing  her  exquisite  head. 


120 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Age,  3C — 1786. 

Journal  continued — Leave  Paris  for  Frankfort  sur  Maine,  September  9th 
— Route  through  Chalons,  Champagne,  Deuxpont,  &c.  to  the  valley 
of  the  Rhine  and  to  Frankfort — Leave  my  paintings  with  M.  Poggi — 
Return  to  Mayence — Descend  the  Rhine  to  Dusseldorf — Sketches  on 
the  route  of  the  river — Fac-similes  engraved — Stay  at  Dusseldorf — 
Live  in  the  gallery — Criticisms  of  paintings,  &c. — Continue  thence 
to  Aix  la  Chapelle,  Liege,  Louvain,  and  Brussels,  to  Antwerp — There 
meet  again  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cosway — Examine  all  objects  of  the  arts  in 
their  society — Remain  three  weeks,  and  then  go  on  through  Ghent, 
&c.,  to  Calais — Embark  there  for  England,  and  in  November  reach 
London. 

September  9th. — Left  Paris  in  the  diligence  for  Metz, 
on  my  route  to  Frankfort  sur  Maine,  where  (at  the  great 
fair)  I had  appointed  to  meet  M.  Poggi.  The  environs 
of  Paris  on  this  route  are  uninteresting.  Dined  at  Meaux, 
a small  dirty  city.  The  country  through  which  we  trav- 
elled in  the  afternoon  was  fine;  slept  at  La  Ferte  en  bois. 

Sept.  1 Ith. — Country  uninteresting.  Dined  at  Epernay, 
in  Champagne,  where  lived  M.  Lochet  Duchumet,  one 
of  our  fellow  passengers,  a considerable  wine  merchant. 
He  insisted  upon  my  visiting  his  wine  cellar,  and  tasting 
his  champagne  wine.  The  cellar  is  cut  two  stories  deep, 
in  that  solid  white  rock  of  which  Paris  is  built,  and  which 
underlies  a considerable  part  of  France.  At  the  depth  of 
this  lower  cellar  the  temperature  is  always  equal,  and  the 
wine  is  kept  in  perfection ; it  was  the  finest  I have  ever 
tasted ; the  price  in  the  cellar  is  six  francs  per  bottle. 
Supped  and  slept  at  Chalons.  The  canal  which  is  here 
commencing,  to  connect  the  Maine  with  the  Loire,  with 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


121 


the  bridge  across  the  Marne,  are  elegant,  useful,  and 
noble  works.  The  country  from  Epernay  is  mountainous, 
much  resembling  the  county  of  Litchfield.  In  this  part 
of  Champagne,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  hills,  grows 
the  fine  blue  grape : the  meadows  on  the  banks  of  the 
Marne  are  principally  rich  pasture  and  meadow;  the 
country  behind  rising,  and  covered  very  much  with  corn- 
fields, but  a poor  soil.  From  Chalons  to  Clermont  in  Au- 
vergne, the  country  is  rough  but  beautiful ; covered  with 
corn,  orchards  of  apples  and  pears,  vineyards  and  wood,  de- 
lightfully interspersed : it  reminded  me  of  the  North  River 
near  Fishkill.  Clermont  is  a fortified  town,  small,  but  strong, 
— a fine  hospital  here,  ...  a part  of  the  . . . who  was  with 
the  legion  de  Lauzun.  The  road  leads  through  a beau- 
tiful, variegated  rough  country  to  Metz.  I had  taken  cold, 
and  the  jolting  of  a wretched  carriage  had  given  me  such 
a severe  pain  in  my  back,  that  on  our  arrival,  I was  hardly 
able  to  get  out  of  the  diligence.  My  suffering  caught 
the  attention  of  an  old  invalid  soldier,  who  served  the 
hotel  as  a sort  of  valet  de  place : he  assisted  me,  and 
offered  to  cure  me — which  he  did,  by  administering  when 
I got  into  bed,  a basin  of  hot  tea,  apparently  of  pepper- 
mint, which  brought  on  a profuse  perspiration,  and  effected 
a cure. 

Metz  being  a frontier  town,  is  very  strongly  fortified, 
and  garrisoned  with  several  thousand  men.  The  Moselle, 
on  which  it  is  situated,  is  not  navigable,  and  therefore  it 
has  little  commerce;  the  principal  part  of  the  town  is 
occupied  by  public  and  military  buildings,  the  Hotel  du 
Government,  new,  &c.  In  the  morning  I learned,  that 
being  so  near  the  frontier,  no  public  carriage  was  estab- 
lished to  any  farther  point,  and  therefore  my  journey  to 
Frankfort  was  interrupted.  Spent  the  day  in  strolling 

16 


122 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


about  the  town.  Went  to  mass  in  the  cathedral;  found 
the  building  old  Gothic ; service  uninteresting  us  usual ; 
music  pretty  good.  Viewed  the  fortifications,  barracks, 
and  found  every  thing  connected  with  the  military  in  ex- 
cellent condition. 

Sept.  \Ath. — Left  Metz  for  Frankfort,  in  a small  neat 
chariot  with  a pair  of  horses,  which  I engaged  to  carry  me 
in  three  days  for  six  Louis  d’ors,  being  a Louis  a day  for 
six  days,  to  go  and  return.  To  lighten  the  expense,  I 
admitted  as  a companion  a German  musician,  returning 
from  Paris  to  Erfuth — a heavy,  silent  man,  speaking 
French  no  better  than  myself,  and  for  German,  a most 
wretched  provincial  patois : neither  of  us  had  any  knowl- 
edge of  the  part  of  the  country  through  which  lay  our  road, 
and  we  formed  a strange  association.  For  a few  miles,  the 
road  was  good  and  the  country  pleasant ; afterwards,  poor 

and  sandy.  Breakfasted  at four  leagues  from  Metz, 

in  a house  which  poverty  and  filth  seemed  to  have  chosen 
for  their  residence : very  bad  food,  scarcely  two  cups  to 
be  found  in  the  house,  and  apparently  not  a decent  utensil 
or  article  of  furniture, — great  quantities  of  wild  pears,  of 

which  we  made  good  use.  Stopped  at , where  are 

some  decent  houses  and  a convent  of  Benedictines ; a 
regiment  of  cavalry  stationed  here,  are  the  principal  sup- 
port of  the  town.  Stopped  at  a miserable  village  entirely 
German;  supped  maigre,  being  Friday:  the  house  almost 
destitute  of  furniture  or  comfort  of  any  kind.  All  this  day 
the  country  poor  and  road  bad.  Eleven  leagues  from 
Metz. 

Sept.  1 6th. — In  the  morning  passed  through  Saarbruck, 

the  residence  of  , a pretty  little  town  ; houses  neat 

and  good,  some  of  them  really  elegant  and  of  good  archi- 
tecture. There  are  several  very  pretty  seats  in  the  neigh- 


PtxcffJZi.  . 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


123 


borhood.  The  small  river  Saar,  on  which  the  town  stands, 
is  navigable  for  boats,  and  has  a handsome  bridge.  In 
the  neighboring  hills  are  iron  mines,  several  fine  forges  for 
iron  and  steel,  and  of  course,  considerable  commerce. 
The  road  is  sandy  and  bad;  the  country  clear,  with 
tolerable  crops  of  Indian  corn,  pumpkins,  &c.  At  four 
o’clock  supped  at  St.  Embright,  on  very  good  coffee, 
bread  and  butter,  &,c. ; the  china  handsome ; the  inhab- 
itants appear  to  live  comfortably ; — the  country  woody  and 
sandy — principal  food  of  the  poor  appears  to  be  potatoes, 
and  bread  of  Indian  corn,  but  bad ; the  soil  is  poor  until 
very  near  Erbach.  In  this  vicinity  is  the  palace  of  the 
Duke  de  Deuxpont,  prince  of  this  country,  and  cousin 
of  Count  Maximilian  Deuxpont,  colonel  of  the  regiment 
royal  Allemand,  one  of  the  four  superb  infantry  regiments 
who  served  in  America  under  the  Count  Rochambeau  ; 
this  residence  appears  to  be  fine  and  finely  situated.  The 
Count  Maximilian  wTas  made  king  of  Bavaria  by  Napoleon  ; 
the  present  king  is  his  son,  the  king  of  Greece  his  grand- 
son. Supped  at  Erbach  on  milk  soup,  that  is,  boiled  bread, 
and  milk,  fresh  pea  soup,  broiled  chicken,  and  a sallad  of 
potatoes  half  boiled,  sliced ; raw  onions,  do.  dressed  with 
oil  and  vinegar,  very  good. 

Sept.  17 th. — Rose  at  five  o’clock:  dined  at . The 

country  more  mountainous,  wTooded  and  sandy.  After- 
noon, passed  over  a very  rough  country  resembling  the 
highlands  of  New  York;  the  road  bad,  running  between 
two  mountains  rising  high  upon  the  sides  of  a small  stream. 
Stopped  and  slept  at  a solitary  post-house,  in  the  wildest 
and  most  picturesque  situation.  Rose  at  four  o’clock,  the 
18th,  and  set  off*  for  Turckheim:  a few  miserable  houses 
are  scattered  along  the  roadside,  which  runs  through 
an  almost  desert,  among  the  wildest  mountains,  as  far  as 


124 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Frankenstein:  here  we  left  the  mountains  and  entered 
upon  the  valley  of  the  Rhine.  The  country  is  now  rich 
with  vines  and  various  cultivation  ; — several  villages  in 
sight.  Manheim  visible  in  the  distance,  backed  by  a 
range  of  very  high  mountains,  (Heidelberg  and  part  of 
the  Black  Forest,  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  valley.) 
The  prospect  is  rich  and  luxuriant;  but  the  crops  which 
we  pass  are  lean  and  bad,  the  weather  having  been  un- 
favorable, produce  and  vegetation  is  backward.  The  vint- 
age of  Champagne  and  all  this  country,  is  made  towards 
the  end  of  September. 

Sept . \8th. — Four  leagues  from  Worms.  The  country 
here  is  rich,  and  abundantly  cultivated  in  vines,  corn, 
potatoes,  turnips,  radishes,  &,c.  The  manner  of  planting 
vines  is  different  from  what  is  usual  in  Champagne,  and 
generally  throughout  France ; they  are  here  planted  like 
Indian  corn,  in  rows,  but  not  quite  so  distant.  Each  vine 
is  trained  to  about  three  feet  high,  beyond  which  height 
the  plant  is  seldom  permitted  to  rise ; the  field  has  thus 
the  appearance  of  a cornfield.  In  some  places,  the  field 
in  ploughing  is  divided  into  lands ; on  the  edge  of  each 
land  is  one  row  of  vines,  the  space  between  is  devoted 
to  corn,  potatoes,  turnips,  &c.,  and  here  the  row  of  vines 
is  permitted  to  rise  higher,  and  to  spread  themselves  upon 
slips  of  board  extended  from  prop  to  prop,  a kind  of 
espalier.  At  four  o’clock  passed  through  the  city  of 
Worms,  the  first  impression  of  which  was  favorable.  At 
almost  every  window  we  passed,  was  a beautiful  and  well 
dressed  young  lady  ; — whether  our  eyes  were  prejudiced 
by  the  long  tract  of  desolate  frontier  country,  through 
which  we  had  passed,  we  could  not  decide;  but  we 
thought  the  women  here  were  in  general  remarkably 
pretty.  The  town  is  old,  the  houses  neglected,  ill  built, 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


125 


and  apparently  in  decay.  The  cathedral  is  a very  clumsy, 
heavy,  Gothic  building ; we  stopped  a few  minutes  to 
see  the  interior,  but  found  we  could  not  have  admittance 
unless  we  waited  longer  than  was  convenient,  and  we 
concluded  from  the  style  of  the  exterior,  that  we  did  not 
lose  much.  The  fortifications,  which  were  Gothic,  were 
miserable  and  in  ruins.  It  would  give  great  pleasure  to 
see  rising  upon  the  ruins  of  war,  the  habitations  of  peace 
and  industry;  but  such  pleasure  is  not  to  be  expected 
in  a country  like  this,  where  the  inhabitants  hold  even 
their  lives  at  the  will  of  an  arbitrary  and  despotic  prince. 
“ Sic  nos  non  nobis,”  is  a reflection  which  is  painfully  forced 
upon  the  mind  at  every  step.  The  soil  is  abundantly 
luxuriant  in  various  productions ; but  in  the  midst  of 
plenty,  the  inhabitants,  although  numerous,  appear  to  be 
wretched : to  support  the  pride  and  pomp  of  one  family, 
the  happiness  of  the  people  is  sacrificed. 

September  19 th. — At  six  o’clock  reached  Openheim,  a 
wretched  old  Gothic  town,  once  walled,  now  in  decay. 
We  here  crossed  the  river  Rhine,  which  is  at  this  place 
twice  the  width  of  Hartford  ferry,  very  deep  and  rapid. 
The  boat  was  of  a singular  construction : a platform  of 
twenty  five  or  thirty  feet  square  is  laid  upon  two  boats 
placed  parallel  to  each  other ; over  this  platform  is  erected 
a sort  of  gallows  of  strong  timber,  twenty  feet  high,  over 
which  passes  a strong  hawser,  at  one  end  connected  with 
a windlass,  at  the  other,  and  at  a considerable  distance,  to 
a boat,  and  this  boat  is  made  fast  again  by  an  iron  chain 
to  another,  and  so  on  for  six  or  eight ; the  last  boat  is 
firmly  anchored  or  moored  in  the  middle  of  the  stream, 
there  is  no  tide  in  the  river,  and  the  force  of  the  current 
acting  upon  these  boats  and  their  rudders,  which  are  pre- 
sented obliquely  to  it,  maintains  a constant  effort  to  carry 


126 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


the  whole  down  the  river — counteracted  by  the  connected 
boats ; this  communicates  a swinging  motion  to  the  ferry- 
boat, which  sets  it  across  the  river  * in  a very  short  time. 
On  each  side  of  the  river  is  a short  wharf,  one  end  of 
which  is  secured  to  the  shore,  the  other  supported  by 
a large  boat,  of  the  same  height  above  the  water  as  the 
platform  of  the  ferry-boat,  which  rising  or  falling  as  the 
surface  of  the  river,  carriages  may  be  driven  in  and  out 
with  perfect  ease  and  safety. 

The  country  from  this  landing  to  Gohrah,  two  and  a 
half  leagues,  is  like  the  other  side  of  the  river,  a perfect 
garden,  and  the  road  fine.  At  Gohrah,  for  the  first  time 
in  all  this  ride,  I met  children  coming  from  school.  Edu- 
cation and  liberty  would  convert  this  country  into  an 
earthly  paradise ; but,  an  ox  saddled  and  harnessed  in  a 
cart  like  a horse,  formed  a sad  contrast  of  ignorance. 

From  Gohrah  at  twelve  o’clock,  for  Frankfort,  six 
leagues.  After  the  first  two  miles,  the  road  was  very 
deep  sand;  soil  poor,  covered  with  a growth  of  white 
birch  and  small  stunted  pines.  Walked  a great  part  of 
the  distance,  and  amused  myself  with  trying  to  talk  Ger- 
man with  a corporal  and  his  party  of  soldiers,  of  Hesse 
Darmstadt.  At  the  distance  of  a mile  and  a half  came  in 
view  of  Frankfort,  most  delightfully  situated  in  a beautiful 
fertile  valley  on  the  banks  of  the  Maine,  the  distance 
formed  by  high  mountains ; the  whole  scene  recalling 
most  forcibly  the  beauties  of  my  native  country.  As  we 
approach,  the  town  appears  large  and  handsome,  and  on 
entering  the  gate  of  the  small  town  opposite,  we  find  it 
strongly  fortified  ; the  river  passing  through  the  town,  is 
crossed  by  a bridge,  very  high,  and  built  of  stone.  Passed 
through  a considerable  part  of  the  town,  to  arrive  at  the 
lodgings  which  had  been  secured  for  me  by  M.  Poggi, 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


127 


where  I found  myself  very  well  accommodated ; the  town 
very  full  of  strangers,  come  to  attend  the  fair. 

The  21st  was  passed  in  running  about  the  town,  and 
seeing  the  engravings  in  aqua-tinta  of  two  clever  artists ; 
those  of  Madame  Prestor  have  very  great  merit.  Saw  also 
the  collection  of  pictures  of  Mons.  Stadle,  the  only  one  in 
the  town;  it  contains  some  tolerable  pictures,  and  good 
architectural  drawings ; the  proprietor  a very  amiable,  gen- 
tleman-like man.  The  environs  of  the  town  are  extremely 
beautiful ; the  land  divided  into  small  portions  of  one  half 
to  two  acres,  cultivated  in  the  highest  perfection  and  most 
charming  variety,  and  on  most  of  these  little  spots,  a taste- 
fully ornamented  summer-house.  The  Jews’  quarter  is  a 
very  narrow  street,  or  rather  lane,  impassable  for  carriages, 
with  the  houses  very  lofty,  old-fashioned  and  filthy,  not 
more  than  a quarter  of  a mile  long, — no  cross  avenue  or 
alley,  and  a strong  gate  at  each  end,  carefully  closed  and 
secured  at  tattoo-beat,  after  which  no  one  is  allowed  to  go 
out  or  enter,  and  whoever  is  found  out  of  the  quarter  after 
this  time,  is  secured  by  the  city  guard  and  confined.  This 
quarter  is  said  to  contain  ten  thousand  of  this  miserable 
people ; how  such  a number  can  exist  in  such  a narrow 
space  is  almost  incredible,  yet  here  (at  one  of  the  entrance 
gates)  I saw  them  crowded  together  in  filth  and  wretched- 
ness, calculated  to  generate  disease.  And  how  were  they 
to  escape  from  a fire,  after  the  two  only  avenues  were 
closed  for  the  night? — Men,  women  and  children  must  be 
in  imminent  danger  of  perishing.  The  sight  of  such 
misery  was  most  painful,  and  the  reflection  of  the  possible, 
nay,  probable,  consequences  appalling. 

In  the  evening  I went  to  the  theatre,  (strange  transition !) 
which  is  a very  neat  small  building ; the  actors  tolerable  ; 
music  excellent ; company  numerous  and  genteel — some 


128 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


elegant  women — many  very  well  dressed  and  beautiful 
young  creatures ; the  whole  coup  d'ceil  striking. 

Sept.  22d. — Went  to  see  the  cathedral;  old,  Gothic, 
overloaded  with  bad  ornaments.  In  this  building  is  per- 
formed the  coronation  of  the  king  of  the  Romans;  the 
choir  of  the  cathedral,  the  council-room,  &c.  are  remark- 
able for  their  great  antiquity,  and  the  council-room  is  deco- 
rated, or  rather  filled  and  crowded,  with  vile  portraits  of  all 
the  emperors.  Here  is  also  kept  sacredly,  the  Golden 
Bull,  or  Magna  Charta  of  Germany,  dated  1230,  and  con- 
taining the  constitution  of  the  empire. 

Frankfort  contains  forty  thousand  inhabitants,  free,  and 
carrying  on  an  extensive  commerce  with  the  interior  of 
Germany.  The  fairs  are  held  spring  and  fall,  continuing 
three  weeks ; that  of  the  fall  is  the  most  important,  during 
which  it  is  calculated  that  at  least  ten  thousand  persons 
are  attracted  to  this  temple  of  commerce,  from  all  parts  of 
Europe,  besides  a great  number  of  nobility  and  gentry, 
who  resort  to  the  place  for  amusement.  The  city  is 
generally  well  built,  with  some  broad  handsome  streets, 
and  magnificent  public  buildings  and  hotels,  of  which  the 
Maison  Rouge  is  the  finest.  I dined  once  at  this  house,  at 
the  table  d'hote , with  at  least  two  hundred  persons  of  all 
descriptions,  from  princesses  and  princes  of  the  empire, 
who  were  there  from  curiosity,  down  to  Jews  and  Gentiles 
of  all  descriptions,  from  the  merchant  to  the  pedlar,  all 
seeking  whom  they  might  devour,  at  least  plunder.  The 
river  Maine,  on  which  the  town  is  built,  is  about  as  wide 
as  the  Connecticut  at  Hartford,  and  from  eight  to  ten  feet 
deep  at  ordinary  times — smooth,  but  somewhat  rapid. 

I embarked  at  1 0 o’clock  for  Mayence  on  the  Rhine,  on 
board  a boat  filled  with  two  or  three  hundred  people  of  all 
classes  and  nations,  without  one  acquaintance,  and  speak- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


129 


ing  hardly  a word  of  German.  Fortunately,  there  were 
among  the  number  some  very  genteel  and  intelligent 
people  speaking  French,  and  in  their  society  I passed  the 
day  very  agreeably.  Down  the  river  to  Mayence,  the 
country  is  fertile  and  beautiful,  with  several  picturesque 
small  towns. 

Arrived  at  Mayence  at  four  o’clock  ; was  conducted  by 
M.  C.  Haberle  of  Erfuth,  a gentleman  of  the  university 
here,  and  a fellow  passenger  in  the  boat,  to  see  the  cathe- 
dral, of  rich  but  heavy  Gothic  architecture ; no  paintings 
of  value ; the  choir  of  new  Gothic  Grecian.  There  are,  in 
some  of  the  chapels,  pictures  in  fresco  of  some  merit ; and 

a not  yet  finished,  by  the  principal  canon  of  the 

cathedral,  is  a beautiful  little  work,  of  real  Greek  taste. 
The  citadel  stands  upon  the  height  of  ground  above  the 
town,  and  is  a fine  specimen  of  modern  fortification. 
Within  the  citadel  is  preserved  what  remains  of  an  ancient 
tower,  said  to  be  the  monument  of  Drusus ; in  the  neigh- 
boring country  are  many  remains  of  ancient  Roman  works 
and  buildings. 

Mayence  is  the  Maguntium  of  Caesar,  and  when  the 
water  of  the  river  is  low,  the  remains  of  a Roman  bridge 
may  still  be  seen,  at  the  lower  part  of  the  town,  supposed 
to  be  of  his  time,  and  indeed  to  have  been  constructed  by 
him  across  the  Rhine.  The  view  from  the  citadel  is  fine, 
overlooking  the  city,  the  river,  and  opposite  country.  The 
principal  street  of  the  town  is  handsome;  upon  it  are 
placed  the  electoral  stables,  and  in  the  lower  part,  on  the 
bank  of  the  Rhine,  stands  the  electoral  palace,  externally 
an  old,  irregular  Gothic  building ; the  interior  said  to  be 
decent,  not  magnificent ; I did  not  enter  it,  but  made  a 
slight  drawing  of  the  river  front.  The  city  contains  thirty 
thousand  inhabitants,  a nunnery  with  its  dependencies,  an 

17 


130 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


university,  &c. — mechanics,  shopkeepers,  &c.,  and  has 
considerable  commerce. 

Sept.  23 d. — Embarked  for  Cologne,  in  a boat,  i.  e.  a 
batteau  with  oars  and  an  awning.  Again  very  fortunate 
in  my  companions  ; the  person  whom  I first  met  was  M. 
Herry  of  Antwerp,  at  whose  house  my  friend,  Major  Brice  of 
Maryland,  formerly  lived  when  studying  painting  in  that  city 
— I found  M.  Herry  a very  agreeable  young  man,  speaking 
both  French  and  English  tolerably,  and  possessing  great 
love  for  the  arts,  and  considerable  skill  in  painting.  Our 
other  companions,  Mons.  and  Madame  Payen  of  Maestricht, 
a very  pleasant  couple,  who  spoke  French  well,  returning 
from  a visit  to  his  parents  in  Switzerland ; and  with  them, 
under  their  protection,  was  a beautiful  and  amiable  young 
lady,  very  like  Mrs.  Langdon  of  Portsmouth ; she  had 
been  for  two  years  at  Lausanne  with  an  aunt,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  General  Gresnier,  in  the  service  of  Hol- 
land, residing  at  Breda,  and  commandant  of  Gertruyden- 
bergh.  Several  others  were  on  board  the  boat,  to  our 
great  vexation,  for  we  had  understood  it  to  have  been 
engaged  for  our  party  exclusively ; however,  as  they  were 
all  decent  people,  we  reconciled  ourselves  to  our  fate, 
soon  became  acquainted,  and  at  ten  o’clock  left  Mayence. 
The  morning  was  fine,  the  sky  and  the  river  clear  and 
undisturbed,  the  country  surrounding  us  rich,  various,  and 
bright,  in  the  distance  lofty  mountains  terminating  the 
scene  ; the  banks  of  the  river  covered  with  villages,  and 
boats  and  barges  crossing  and  recrossing,  some  coming  up 
the  river,  others  following  us  down. 

At  twelve  o’clock  we  spread  our  little  repast,  consisting 
of  a pair  of  roasted  chickens  and  some  veal,  with  good 
bread  and  some  bottles  of  fine  wine ; the  want  of  plates 
and  dishes  was  supplied  by  bits  of  clean  paper,  the  knives 


Plate  i'L 


Pa-je.  130 


(,  , AUX**"1* 


' 


X>*gjMt,BiiisnxaTU  A Co. Sc. 

<?  . ' 


/ ^J>/  •*  / -.V?  1 ■ •£..’  ,t*f-  { 

'4asr  lex  //  ^ 


" ~f  ' ' eo- 


Platy  i2.  ■ 


JPageliQ. 


Flat?  13. 


■f&v&Pd; 


Plate,  i6. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


131 


out  of  our  pockets,  and  two  tumblers  we  had  to  divide 
between  the  ladies  and  gentlemen.  The  singularity  of 
our  meeting,  the  oddity  of  our  table,  the  whimsical  mixture 
and  confusion  of  languages,  with  the  delightful  beauty  of 
the  weather  and  the  scene,  all  conspired  to  make  our 
dinner  the  most  charming  party  possible,  and  no  travellers 
ever  were  happier  than  we.  At  two  o’clock  we  went  on 
shore  a few  minutes  at  Bingen,  a small  town  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  river,  seven  leagues  from  Mayence,  at  the 
entrance  of  the  highlands,  which  are  picturesque  in  the 
highest  degree,  far  superior  in  grandeur  to  the  highlands 
of  the  North  River.  The  stream  is  contracted  to  a very 
narrow  space,  restrained  between  high  mountains,  rocky, 
wild,  precipitous,  and  every  summit  ornamented  with  the 
ruins  of  some  ancient  Gothic  castle,  overhanging  the  river 
and  subject  country,  like  the  eyrie  of  an  eagle.  The  river 
just  below  Bingen  runs  rapidly;  the  channel  is  interrupted 
by  rocks,  but  not  dangerous ; on  one  of  these  (not  larger 
than  Pollipell’s  island)  is  a formidable  structure  in  stone, 
intended  probably  for  a prison  in  ancient  days.  Soon 
after  entering  the  channel  between  the  mountains,  the 
weather  became  obscure,  then  squally,  and  at  four  o’clock 
the  wind  blew  violently  in  gusts,  and  we  were  very  happy, 
when  with  some  difficulty  we  reached  a little  landing-place 
on  the  west  side,  where  we  got  safely  on  shore ; the  ladies 
were  excessively  frightened,  and  in  truth  with  good  reason. 
There  was  no  house  near  to  shelter  or  defend  us  from  the 
storm  ; a few  osiers,  which  had  been  cut  and  made  into 
bundles  by  basket-makers,  were  all  we  could  find  to  pro- 
tect us  from  the  rain.  We  reassured  the  ladies,  drank  a 
tumbler  of  wine,  and  walked  on  in  a little  foot-path  until 
the  wind  abated,  the  lovely  little  girl  leaning  on  my  arm 
for  support;  we  resembled  a scene  of  ancient  story, 


132 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


knights  and  damsels,  and  difficulties  and  dangers.  We 
soon  recovered  spirits  to  amuse  ourselves  with  our  adven- 
ture, and  recollecting  passages  of  poetry  and  romance, 
we  returned  cheerfully  to  our  boat.  The  weather  cleared, 
and  we  went  on  pleasantly  to  Bacherach,  a village  on  the 
west  shore,  four  leagues  below  Bingen,  where  we  landed 
at  seven  o’clock.  The  ladies,  after  their  fatigue  and 
alarms,  went  immediately  to  rest ; we  supped  pleasantly, 
and  slept  soundly. 

At  six  o’clock  next  morning  breakfasted  together,  and 
pursued  our  voyage.  The  morning  was  squally,  but  the 
mountainous  scene  through  which  we  were  passing  was 
picturesque  in  the  highest  degree;  every  moment  pre- 
sented some  new  change  of  form  or  effect,  some  ruined 
castle  in  a new  point  of  view — scenes  sometimes  pleasant, 
sometimes  terrible,  always  grand.  The  gleams  of  sun- 
shine and  alternate  squalls,  which  at  times  concealed,  and 
then  again  unveiled  the  mountains,  enriched  the  beauty 
of  the  day,  but  destroyed  its  pleasures  and  even  comforts, 
for  the  frequent  rain  rendered  our  boat  damp  and  cold, 
and  the  sudden  violence  of  the  wind  was  at  times  dan- 
gerous. 

At  twelve  we  repeated  our  little  dinner,  but  not  with 
the  same  pleasure  as  before.  The  sky  was  gloomy,  the 
wrater  rough,  the  wind  frequently  violent,  with  heavy  rain, 
so  that  we  were  glad  to  shrink  and  cower  under  the 
canvass  shelter  of  our  awning,  which  was  often  in  danger 
of  being  blown  away.  In  the  afternoon  the  weather  be- 
came still  more  unpleasant.  We  landed  for  a few  minutes, 
at  Coblentz ; the  town  large  and  well  fortified,  the  citadel 
strong,  and  the  castle  of  Ehrenbrietzen  on  the  opposite 
shore,  placed  on  the  lofty  summit  of  an  almost  inaccessible 
rock,  frowning  on  all  below,  river,  town  and  country, 


& ";"dr  • . 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


133 


with  a stern  and  solemn  grandeur.  Coblentz  is  eleven 
leagues  from  Biberach,  and  twenty  two  from  Mayence. 
We  resumed  our  seats  in  the  boat,  and  went  on  to  Neu- 
widt,  a beautiful  little  village  on  the  eastern  shore,  like 
Esopus.  Here  we  landed  at  seven  o’clock ; the  evening 
dark,  rainy,  tempestuous ; found  our  way  to  an  inn,  and 
inquired  for  Madame,  the  mother  of  Mademoiselle  Gres- 
nier,  who  had  arranged  to  meet  her  daughter  here,  and 
conduct  her  to  Breda.  Having  established  the  ladies  in 
a comfortable  room,  I ran  wfith  M.  Payen  to  the  pension , 
(boarding-house,)  where  we  found  the  mother,  an  elegant 
elderly  woman,  a sister  somewhat  older  than  Made- 
moiselle, and  two  fine  chubby  little  boys,  brothers,  who 
were  here  at  school.  The  people  of  the  house  were 
agreeable,  and  all,  as  well  as  Madame  Gresnier,  received 
the  news  of  the  young  lady’s  arrival  with  the  transports 
of  real  and  undisguised  affection.  A carriage  was  imme- 
diately sent  for  the  ladies,  and  M.  Payen  and  myself  were 
commanded  to  stay  to  supper  and  accept  beds.  The  ladies 
soon  arrived,  and  the  meeting  was  the  most  tender  and 
interesting  I ever  witnessed ; the  transports  of  filial  and 
maternal  affection  were  seen  in  their  most  lovely  forms, 
and  we  passed  an  evening  of  such  amiable,  virtuous  joy, 
as  I shall  never  forget.  An  elegant  little  English  supper 
closed  the  scene,  and  I took  leave  of  this  most  estimable 
family  and  society,  not  without  deep  regret ; all  the  parties 
gave  me  their  address,  and  received  mine  in  exchange. 
We  parted,  I believe  with  a mutual,  sincere  hope,  that  we 
might  meet  again. 

Sept.  %4th. — At  seven  o’clock,  M.  Herry  and  myself 
embarked  at  Neuwidt ; the  wreather  still  rainy  and  cold, 
with  heavy  wind.  We  found  it  advisable  to  land  at  nine 
o’clock  at  Andernach,  a small  town  one  league  below 


134 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Neuwidt,  on  the  opposite  shore.  Service  was  perform- 
ing in  the  church ; we  attended  for  an  hour,  and  at  ten 
returned  to  our  boat;  found  that  the  wind  had  rather 
increased,  and  the  water  was  very  rough,  but  once  more  we 
attempted  to  descend  the  river.  Soon,  however,  we  found 
our  situation  very  disagreeable  and  hazardous ; the  wind 
increased  to  a very  heavy  gale,  the  water  was  violently 
agitated,  and  we  were  glad  to  reach  the  shore  again,  at  a 
little  village  opposite,  at  the  distance  of  a mile.  The  gale 
increased  to  such  a degree,  (blowing  directly  up  the 
river,)  that  we  gave  up  all  hope  of  being  able  to  proceed 
by  water,  and  inquired  if  it  were  possible  to  obtain  post- 
horses  ; and  to  our  great  mortification  learned  that  An- 
dernach,  which  we  had  just  quitted  with  no  small  risk, 
was  a post-town,  and  that  there  was  no  practicable  road 
down  the  east  side  of  the  river  where  we  were,  nor  any 
horses.  It  remained,  therefore,  only  to  recross  the  river, 
and  this  was  not  only  unpleasant,  but  dangerous.  The 
desire  to  get  on  our  way,  and  our  reluctance  to  spend 
one,  perhaps  two  or  three  days,  in  a miserable  dirty  little 
village,  at  length  determined  us  to  hazard  the  attempt. 
M.  Herry  having  on  board  the  boat  a chaise,  (cabriolet,) 
in  which  he  had  travelled  from  Dresden  to  Mayence, 
was  so  kind  as  to  offer  me  a seat  in  it,  and  the  river  was 
all  that  obstructed  our  going  forward.  We  therefore  hired 
a larger  boat,  with  fresh  and  skilful  hands,  shifted  our 
baggage  on  board  her,  embarked,  and  in  a few  minutes 
found  ourselves  safe  on  shore,  a short  distance  below 
Andernach,  where  we  landed  the  chaise  and  our  baggage. 
Meantime  the  tempest  increased,  with  violent  rain ; I had 
not  even  a great-coat,  and  was  thoroughly  wet  before  we 
could  finish  our  labor  and  secure  our  effects  above  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  out  of  its  reach.  There  were  no 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


135 


houses  near,  but  at  length  we  observed  at  some  distance 
a little  chapel,  by  the  roadside,  which  might  afford  some 
shelter  from  the  rain ; we  ran  thither,  carrying  with  us 
our  little  basket  of  eatables,  and  a couple  of  bottles  of 
wine,  and  there  made  our  dinner,  waiting  for  horses, 
which  we  had  sent  for  to  the  town.  The  little  chapel 
proved  to  us  the  most  delightful  refuge ; some  poor  Ital- 
ian travellers  on  foot,  were  driven  to  the  same  shelter  by 
the  storm  ; we  shared  our  provisions  and  wine  with  them, 
and  enjoyed  more  satisfaction  in  this  wretched  little  hovel, 
than  is  perhaps  commonly  seen  in  palaces.  After  waiting 
two  hours,  until  one  o’clock,  we  at  last  got  horses,  mounted 
the  chaise,  and  proceeded  on  our  journey,  .leaving  our 
bottles,  basket,  glass,  the  fragments  of  our  dinner,  a small 
box,  &c.,  in  the  entrance  of  the  chapel,  as  a memorial  of 
gratitude  for  the  shelter  which  we  had  received,  and  for 
the  benefit  of  any  poor  creature  who  might  be  our  suc- 
cessor. The  wind,  still  furious,  blew  directly  in  our  faces, 
and  the  front  of  the  cabriolet  was  open,  but  we  were  safe 
on  land,  and  that  reflection,  when  we  looked  towards  the 
river,  which  the  continuance  of  the  gale  had  by  this  time 
rendered  terrible,  comforted  us  for  the  cold  and  rain  to 
which  we  were  still  exposed.  We  went  on  in  this  weather 
six  hours,  to  Remagh,  eighteen  miles,  or  six  leagues.  Here 
for  want  of  horses,  we  were  again  detained  nearlv  two 
hours  ; having  resolved  to  travel  all  night,  we  at  length 
obtained  horses,  and  went  to  Bonne,  the  residence  of  the 
Elector  of  Cologne.  Arrived  there  at  twelve  o’clock ; the 
storm  still  continued,  and  we  were  most  excessively  cold ; 
the  gates  of  the  town  were  shut,  but  after  some  delay  we 
gained  admission,  and  were  directed  to  an  inn,  where 
we  found  a fire  and  something  to  eat,  which  was  the 
summit  of  our  wishes ; we  warmed  ourselves,  devoured 


136 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


a leg  of  mutton,  drank  a couple  of  bottles  of  excellent  vin  du 
Rhine , and  at  two  o’clock  proceeded  to  Cologne,  arrived 
at  sunrise,  procured  fresh  horses  and  went  on  to  Dormagh, 
breakfasted,  changed  horses  and  went  on  to  Dusseldorf, 
where  we  arrived  at  two  o’clock,  having  travelled  twenty 
five  leagues  in  as  many  hours.  The  last  twelve  hours  had 
been  free  from  rain  and  violent  wind,  but  very  cold.  Pass- 
ing in  this  rapid  way,  and  in  the  night,  there  was  very  little 
opportunity  to  form  a just  opinion  of  the  country ; I can 
only  say,  judging  from  the  time  we  were  passing  through  it, 
that  Bonne  is  not  large,  and  upon  the  same  principle,  that 
Cologne  is ; the  latter  is  old  and  very  ill  built,  but  well 
paved.  The  road  which  we  have  passed,  is  in  general 
good,  frequently  close  on  the  bank  of  the  Rhine  ; the  river 
under  you  and  a precipice  of  rock  hanging  over  you,  and 
frequently  hardly  width  to  admit  two  carriages  to  pass. 
From  Cologne  to  Dusseldorf,  the  country  is  flat,  highly 
cultivated  and  beautiful ; the  mountains  continue  as  far  as 
Bonne,  from  thence  to  Cologne  the  country  is  somewhat 
rough.  We  no  longer  see  any  vines. 

Sept.  25th. — At  Dusseldorf,  a small  pleasant  town,  pretty 
well  built,  paved  and  fortified ; the  only  thing  to  be  seen 
in  it  is  the  electoral  palace,  and  of  that,  there  is  nothing 
worth  notice,  except  the  gallery  of  paintings,  which  is 
extensive  and  truly  fine.  The  gallery  is  divided  into  five 
apartments,  of  which  the  first  contains  a number  of  choice 
works  of  eminent  masters,  Italian  and  Flemish,  among 
which  several  hunting  pieces,  the  animals  by  Snyders, 
and  one  with  figures,  by  Rubens;  portraits,  by  Vandyck; 
a large  historical  composition,  by  G.  Crayer;  the  Wise 
and  Foolish  Virgins,  by  Schalken  ; one  very  fine  Teniers, 
&lc.,  are  the  finest  of  this  division.  In  the  second  are 
several  fine  works  by  Vandyck,  as  the  dead  Christ  and 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


137 


attending  angels,  a superb  picture;  Susannah  and  the 
Elders,  St.  Sebastian,  the  Virgin  and  Child,  &c.  Here 
is  also  the  celebrated  master-piece  of  Gerard  Dow,  ad- 
mirably painted,  but  the  subject  detestably  low.  In 
the  third  is  a beautiful  Christ  and  Magdalene,  by  Bar- 
roccio,  sweetly  colored ; the  Murder  of  the  Innocents  by 
Annibal  Caracci,  grand  expression  and  coloring ; St.  John 
in  the  Desert,  by  Raphael,  beautiful  drawing,  character 
and  expresson,  and  tolerable  color ; single  figure,  young, 
and  large  as  life ; Ascension  of  the  Virgin,  by  Guido,  not 
one  of  his  choice  works ; and  a multitude  of  other  fine 
things,  which  it  would  require  a volume  to  characterize, 
and  a year  to  view.  The  fourth  is  devoted  to  the  Van- 
derwerfs,'  which,  of  all  the  celebrated  pictures  I have  ever 
seen,  appear  to  me  to  be  the  very  worst — mere  monu- 
ments of  labor,  patience,  and  want  of  genius.  Two  Rem- 
brandts, one  a Crucifixion,  the  other  a Descent  from  the 
Cross,  small  figures,  are  very  fine.  A Jordaens,  the  Satyr 
and  the  Pedlar,  is  charming,  equally  for  color,  expression 
and  design  ; the  figures  are  large  as  life ; the  subject  per- 
fectly suited  to  the  painter.  The  fifth  apartment  may 
properly  be  called  the  monument  of  Rubens,  and  mag- 
nificently worthy  of  him ; it  contains  near  fifty  of  his  most 
extraordinary  works,  and  nothing  by  any  other  hand. 
They  are  of  such  variety  in  subject  and  style,  as  would 
almost  inspire  a doubt  of  their  being  the  fruits  of  one 
mind,  but  that  we  see  the  hand  and  the  color  which  are 
so  peculiarly  and  exclusively  his.  The  subjects  vary, 
from  the  very  lowest  ribaldry  and  profligacy  of  human 
nature,  to  the  most  sublime  conceptions  of  religion  and 
poetry.  The  first  on  the  right  hand  of  the  entrance  is  a 
small  picture,  figures  not  more  than  a foot  high — a ma- 
rauding party  of  soldiers  pillaging  the  house  of  a peasant ; 

18 


138 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


the  commander,  a vulgar  profligate,  is  seated  in  a pomp- 
ous attitude,  in  the  assumed  character  of  a gentleman,  and 
directing  a scoundrel  of  the  lowest  class  in  his  attempt 
to  search  the  person  of  the  unhappy  dame  of  the  cottage, 
who  struggles  stoutly,  but  in  vain,  against  the  brutal 
strength  of  the  ruffian ; all  the  accompaniment  of  birds 
and  animals  of  a rustic  yard,  are  intermingled  with  the 
plunderers,  and  the  whole  has  such  a hurry  of  vulgar  dis- 
tress, the  expressions  and  characters  so  appropriate,  that 
one  would  suppose  the  painter  to  have  passed  a life  in 
studying  similar  scenes.  But  what  a transition  do  we 
see  in  a neighboring  picture,  the  Resurrection  of  the  Just, 
which  is  painted  on  a pannel  not  more  than  twenty  by 
thirty  inches — upright,  the  ground  white — an  unfinished 
sketch  or  study.  In  parts  of  some  of  the  figures  the 
outline  is  visible  on  the  white  ground,  untouched — no 
correction,  no  repetition  of  line — correct  and  elegant,  and 
graceful  as  Raphael.  This  most  exquisite  work  consists 
of  young  women  and  children,  aided  by  intermingled 
angels,  mounting  from  earth  to  heaven ; the  forms  are  all 
correct  as  Raphael,  all  elegant  as  Correggio ; the  drawing 
of  the  most  refined  purity  and  grace ; the  color  pure, 
delicate,  and  rich,  but  not  gaudy — in  some  parts  very  thin, 
in  others  the  ground  visible ; and  all  this  accompanied 
with  such  expressions  of  joy,  of  gratitude,  of  humility,  as 
are  rarely  seen.  The  entire  group  seem  to  be  in  motion, 
and  you  gaze  lest  they  should  escape  and  soar  out  of 
human  sight;  the  whole  effect  is  aerial,  the  color  del- 
icately bright  and  luminous.  This  appears  to  have  been 
the  study  for  a companion  of  the  neighboring  picture  of 
the  Fall  of  the  Damned,  which  is  larger,  and  more  finished 
— a scene  as  tremendous  as  the  other  is  lovely.  The 
drawing  in  this  is  less  correct,  but  the  color,  the  charac- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


139 


ters,  the  expressions,  the  attitudes,  tremendously  fine.  In 
the  upper  part  is  a figure  in  the  attitude  of  the  fighting 
gladiator,  reversed,  struggling  against  a demon,  who  en- 
deavors to  drag  him  to  the  immeasurable  gulf ; in  others, 
the  various  vices  of  mankind  are  characterized,  going 
reluctantly  to  their  reward ; near  the  bottom  are  laughing 
devils,  dragging  by  their  hair  their  wretched  victims  up  a 
stream  of  liquid  and  burning  brimstone ; while  the  lowest 
part  of  the  surface  is  filled  with  lions,  tigers,  and  other 
savage  beasts,  tearing  and  devouring  promiscuously  each 
other  and  the  miserable  dregs  of  human  nature.  As  a 
whole,  this  picture  presents  to  the  eye  and  mind,  a scene 
of  horror  never  before  imagined.  In  other  parts  of  this 
room  are  various  other  works — history,  portrait  and  land- 
scape— all  fine,  but  those  which  I have  attempted  to 
describe,  transcendently  so.  If  I possessed  the  Resur- 
rection of  the  Just,  small  and  unfinished  as  it  is,  I would 
not  give  it  in  exchange  for  the  entire  Luxembourg  gallery, 
for  the  Family  of  Lot  at  Versailles,  nor  indeed  for  any  or 
almost  all  the  specimens  of  the  art  which  I have  seen. 
This  little  picture  establishes  the  claim  of  Rubens  to  a 
place  among  the  highest,  most  chaste,  and  most  correct 
of  the  profession ; no  hand  but  his  has  touched,  no  mind 
but  his  could  have  conceived,  these  two  wonderful  com- 
positions. 

The  reflection  here  occurs  to  me,  that  there  is  in  nature, 
in  the  laws  of  optics,  an  insurmountable  difficulty  in  ren- 
dering a large  work  equal  to  a small ; in  small,  the  eye 
is  near  its  object,  and  without  change  of  place  can  com- 
pare the  parts  with  the  whole ; not  so  in  large, — while 
at  work,  the  eye  must  be  almost  equally  near  the  sur- 
face, but  can  form  no  judgment  of  the  relation  of  the 
parts  to  the  whole,  without  removing  to  a distance.  I 


140 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


am  not  certain  that  I am  right,  but  at  present  I believe 
the  theory. 

The  garden  of  the  Elector,  near  the  town,  is  the  only 
other  place  worth  notice.  Living  is  here  very  cheap,  and 
the  wine  of  the  country  not  only  cheap  but  excellent; 
access  of  artists  to  the  gallery  perfectly  easy,  forming  great 
attractions  for  the  residence  of  young  students.  I lodged 
at  the  great  fair  of  Heidelberg,  and  remained  in  Dusseldorf 
three  days,  most  beneficially  employed. 

Sept . 29 th. — At  four  o’clock,  A.  M.,  M.  Herry  having 
sold  his  cabriolet,  we  mounted  (for  the  first  time  to  me) 
a German  post-waggon,  for  Aix  la  Chapelle ; the  most 
detestable  carriage,  I believe,  that  is  now  used  in  any  civ- 
ilized country.  It  was  indeed  a mere  waggon,  and  a 
very  bad  one,  without  springs  of  any  kind,  covered  with 
pairlted  canvass  instead  of  windows,  and  the  apertures 
closed  with  sides  of  leather.  We  were  eight  passengers 
inside,  and  five  out — crowded,  jolted,  and  bruised  most 
unmercifully ; the  weather,  violent  wind,  with  rain  and 
cold.  Quitted  the  banks  of  the  Rhine  near  Dusseldorf, 
dined  at  Juliers,  a small  fortified  town,  eleven  leagues 
from  that  place,  and  in  the  evening  reached  Aix  la  Cha- 
pelle, now  famous  for  little  else  than  its  baths,  which  are 
convenient  and  medicinal,  and  its  gambling  houses,  which 
are  as  systematic,  extensive,  elegant  and  infamous,  as 
almost  any  in  Europe.  The  country  through  which  we 
have  travelled  to-day,  is  finely  cultivated  and  flat,  until  we 
approach  Aix,  when  it  begins  to  be  undulating  and  broken ; 
the  town  is  not  fortified,  but  large,  ill  built,  and  dirty. 

Sept.  30 th. — At  half  past  six,  we  mounted  the  diligence 
for  Liege — (that  for  Maestricht,  which  we  wished  to  have 
taken,  being  full) — the  day  windy  and  wet ; the  company 
of  Brabant,  and  all  speaking  French.  The  country  through 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


141 


which  we  pass,  is  the  territory  of  Liege,  beautiful  and 
finely  cultivated,  but  the  road  bad.  Entered  Liege  at 
seven  o’clock,  by  a long  and  good  bridge  over  the  Meuse, 
which  runs  through  the  town. 

October  1st . — Could  get  no  carriage  to  go  on  towards 
Antwerp,  every  body  being  gone  to  Aix  la  Chapelle,  to 
see  an  ascension  of  Blanchard’s  balloon.  Amused  our- 
selves with  going  first  to  see  the  citadel,  from  whence  is 
a fine  view  of  the  town,  and  of  a most  delightful,  variega- 
ted, and  well  cultivated  country ; the  Meuse,  larger  than 
the  Thames  at  Richmond,  and  navigable,  wanders  through 
a most  fertile  valley,  and  divides  the  town  into  two  large 
and  several  small  parts,  crossed  by  one  long  bridge  of  six 
arches  and  several  small  ones.  The  citadel  stands  on 
the  highest  ground  near  the  town,  and  is  a pretty  good 
fortification,  but  very  much  out  of  repair.  It  contains  a 
well,  which  is  very  curious,  being  cut  (principally  through 
rock)  to  a depth  level  with  the  river,  which  cannot  be 
less  than  five  hundred  feet,  I believe  much  more,  as  a 
bundle  of  straw,  ignited  for  the  purpose  of  shewing  us  the 
depth,  was  forty  seconds  in  falling  to  the  water.  The 
palace  of  the  prince  bishop  is  an  old  Gothic  building, 
forming  a square,  larger  than  the  Exchange  of  London ; 
the  style  very  bad,  the  apartments  unadorned.  The 
cathedral  and  some  other  churches  which  we  ran  through 
are  very  bad  Gothic  ; not  one  tolerable  painting  could  we 
find,  nor  any  thing  grand  and  noble,  except  the  gates  of 
some  chapels  in  the  cathedral,  which  are  of  brass  and 
fine ; a grand  balustrade  of  brass  and  marble  likewise 
surrounds  and  encloses  the  choir  of  the  cathedral.  The 
town  is  old,  large,  ill  built  and  dirty,  containing  more 
beggars  and  fewer  pretty  women  than  any  other  of  equal 
size  I ever  saw.  The  manufactures  are  principally  of 


142 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


iron ; coal  is  found  in  abundance,  but,  before  they  burn  it, 
it  is  broken  into  a coarse  powder,  mixed  with  clay,  and 
formed  into  cakes,  like  brickbats ; thus  is  formed  a fuel 
incomparably  more  filthy  than  the  coal  alone,  and  which 
renders  both  inhabitants  and  streets,  and  atmosphere,  dirty 
in  the  extreme.  Here  is  also  a manufacture  of  calimanco. 
In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  theatre ; very  little  com- 
pany, but  the  actors  and  music  tolerable ; the  piece,  Rich- 
ard Cceur  de  Lion. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  we  took  the  diligence  for  Brus- 
sels. The  country,  soon  after  quitting  Liege,  from  hilly 
becomes  flat,  and  so  continues,  beautifully  cultivated.  At 
about  nine  leagues  from  Liege,  we  entered  the  Emperor’s 
dominions,  where  the  custom-house  officers  were  particu- 
larly careful  in  their  visit ; the  wiseacres  pretended  to 
mistake  me  for  some  foreign  dealer  in  small  wares  or 
jewelry,  returning  from  the  fair  at  Frankfort,  and  Searched 
my  little  trunk  and  baggage  with  great  care ; they  found 
a trifling  piece  of  cambric,  on  which  they  demanded  the 
duty,  amounting  to  five  pence  and  a half,  and  by  their 
useless  severity  lost  a douceur  of  much  more  value,  which 
I should  have  given  them,  had  they  behaved  with  civility. 
Came  on  to  Louvain,  famous  at  present  for  its  university, 
general  stupidity  and  strong  beer.  The  town  is  in  a very 
ruinous  state,  the  buildings  old  and  Gothic ; the  Maison 
de  Ville,  however,  is  a very  fine  specimen  of  ancient 
Gothic. 

Oct.  3d. — We  left  Louvain,  and  travelling  through  a 
rich  and  beautiful  country,  we  arrived  at  Brussels  at 
eleven  o’clock.  This  town  is  large,  clean,  well  paved, 
and  the  streets  tolerably  broad ; the  old  part  of  the  town 
ill  built — the  quarter  adjoining  the  park  very  elegant. 
The  park  itself  is  a beautiful  little  square,  elegantly  varie- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


143 


gated  with  three  grand  walks,  which  unite  in  front  of  the 
Maison  de  Conseil,  (an  elegant  building,)  and  a number 
of  smaller  irregular  ones.  At  the  end  of  the  park  is  the 
Vauxhall,  an  imitation  of  that  in  England.  The  buildings 
which  surround  the  park  are  new  and  of  good  architec- 
ture ; the  situation  elevated  and  superb.  The  cathedral 
church  is  an  ancient  Gothic  building,  richly  but  heavily 
decorated  within  ; many  paintings,  but  none  very  good, 
except  one  by  Rubens,  (Christ’s  charge  to  Peter,)  and  in 
this  the  drawing  is  inferior  to  his  works  in  general,  and 
the  color  not  in  his  best  style,  but  the  characters  and 
expression  are  fine.  Here  is  also  a small  head  of  a lady 
by  Vandyck,  very  good  ; some  landscapes,  with  sacred 
stories,  by  Artois ; a picture  by  Otho  Venius ; and  others 
by  J.  Van  Cleve,  and  several  of  the  early  masters. 

October  Ath. — We  saw  the  court  or  palace;  it  is  near 
the  park,  contains  some  very  elegant  apartments,  with 
very  fine  tapestry  of  Brussels  and  of  the  Gobelins,  and 
two  pieces  of  inlaid  wood,  very  uncommon ; they  are 
historical  compositions,  executed  at  Neuweid  by  David 
Routgen,  in  1779,  after  the  design  of  Jan  Zeck,  of  the 
same  place.  These  compositions  are  very  good,  the 
drawing  correct  and  spirited,  heads  and  characters  fine, 
the  extremities  well  finished,  the  figures  half  the  size  of 
life ; they  are  executed  in  various  colored  wood,  upon  a 
ground  of  pale  straw-colored  satin  wood,  and  so  well  as 
to  produce  a very  pleasing  effect  of  clair-obscure.  Saw 
very  few  pictures;  one  by  Verague  of  Louvain,  a bad 
thing,  though  in  this  country  he  has  reputation. 

The  Maison  de  Ville  is  Gothic ; the  Tower  fine ; the 
Chambre  des  Etats  is  a very  handsome  apartment.  Here 
is  a portrait  of  the  present  emperor,  by  Herrcyns  of 
Mechlin,  who  is  the  most  esteemed  painter  of  the  present 


144 


SKETCH  OE  THE 


day  in  this  country ; the  picture  approaches  nearly  to  the 
style  of  Dance,  but  not  so  good.  The  theatre  is  hand- 
some, larger  than  any  I have  seen  except  those  of  Paris 
and  London,  the  actors  and  music  good,  the  company 
genteel,  and  very  well  dressed.  The  general  language 
of  all  genteel  people  is  French,  and  almost  all  speak 
some  English.  The  little  theatre  on  the  park,  where  the 
actors  are  children,  is  pretty,  and  the  performances  amu- 
sing. In  the  church  of  Petits  Carmes  is  another  fine 
picture  by  Rubens,  (Christ  appearing  to  his  disciples,) 
beautifully  composed  and  colored,  but  not  well  drawn ; 
the  altar-piece,  the  Assumption  of  the  Virgin,  is  called 
Rubens’  also,  and  his  composition  it  certainly  is,  and  very 
fine,  but  1 believe  the  execution  to  be  principally  by  some 
scholar  ; the  parts  are  doubtless  by  his  own  hand.  Here 
also  are  copies  of  several  other  works  of  this  master,  one 
especially  representing  the  triumph  of  the  church  over 
infidelity,  bad  in  truth,  but  valuable  because  the  original 
has  been  destroyed  by  fire ; painted  by  a monk  of  this 
order. 

Oct . 5th. — Visited  several  other  churches,  old,  Gothic, 
bad  as  are  the  paintings  which  load  and  encumber  them. 
Saw  also  the  collection  of  Mons.  Lavocat,  in  which  are 
several  pretty  little  specimens  of  the  Flemish  school,  and 
among  others  is  one  by  Jan  Schooreel,  who  was  born  in 
1495,  spent  some  time  in  Italy,  and  died  in  1562.  The 
subject  is  a Descent  from  the  Cross ; the  composition 
exactly  the  same  as  that  of  Rubens’  celebrated  picture 
in  the  cathedral  of  Antwerp.  M.  Lavocat  read  to  me  a 
history  of  the  picture,  by  which  it  appeared  that  it  was 
in  the  cabinet  of  Rubens  at  the  time  of  his  death ; the 
probability  is,  therefore,  that  he  took  this  as  his  model 
for  the  great  picture ; differences  there  certainly  are,  and 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


145 


all  in  favor  of  Rubens ; but  still,  not  only  the  composition 
of  the  whole,  but  of  every  figure,  is  essentially  the  same 
in  both,  the  variations  being  in  the  arrangement  of  the 
hair,  the  folds  of  the  drapery,  the  character  not  the  airs 
of  the  heads,  and  the  tint  of  the  background,  which  in 
the  small  picture  is  universally  very  dark;  the  heads  of 
the  Savior  and  Mother  are  also  surrounded  by  a glory  in 
gold.  There  are  two  or  three  other  private  collections  in 
this  town,  but  very  difficult  of  access. 

The  new  palace  of  the  archduke  at  Laaken,  three 
miles  from  the  city,  near  the  canal  at  Antwerp,  is  an 
elegant  building ; the  park  and  gardens  are  in  the  English 
style,  very  simple,  finely  varied,  spacious  and  noble ; the 
building  and  its  decorations  are  not  indeed  yet  finished, 
but  enough  is  done  to  convey  a fine  idea  of  simple 
grandeur  and  good  taste.  Unfortunately  for  the  gratifica- 
tion of  our  curiosity,  the  court  dined  there,  so  that  we 
could  not  see  the  apartments.  The  Chinese  tower,  or 
pagoda,  on  the  high  ground  behind  the  palace,  has  a fine 
effect,  and  commands  a most  extensive  view;  in  fine 
weather,  Antwerp  may  be  seen  distinctly. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  theatre,  where  an  opera 
was  very  well  presented ; the  music  and  actors  fine. 
I became  acquainted  with  Madame  Ploetinks,  Rue  de  la 
Madeleine,  one  of  the  handsomest  and  loveliest  women 
I ever  saw — the  precise  style  of  beauty  which  Vandyck 
so  loved  to  paint. 

The  most  obvious  remark  which  a stranger  makes  in 
this  elegant  place,  is  its  wonderful  cheapness ; for  very 
decent  lodgings  three  nights,  three  suppers,  and  one 
breakfast,  I paid  only  five  shillings  sterling,  and  for  a 
dinner,  which  I was  curious  to  see,  only  ninepence ; the 
dinner  consisted  of  soup,  boiled  mutton  and  turnips, 

19 


146 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


bouille  with  greens,  roast  mutton,  veal  and  fowls,  all  very 
good,  with  a dessert  of  excellent  bread,  butter  and  cheese, 
nuts,  pears,  &,c.,  and  we  drank  as  much  very  good  strong 
beer  as  we  pleased.  How  such  a dinner  could  be  given 
for  such  a price  is  to  me  inconceivable.  The  best  houses 
around  the  park,  and  some  of  them  are  very  elegant,  let 
for  £150  per  annum.  A single  man,  who  does  not  keep 
a horse,  may  live  here  very  genteelly  for  £100  per  year. 

October  6th. — Took  the  barge  for  Antwerp  on  the 
beautiful  canal,  the  banks  adorned  with  country  seats  ; 

quitted  the  boat  at  two  o’clock ; at crossed  a small 

branch  of  the  Scheldt,  and  took  the  diligence  for  Ant- 
werp ; the  road  fine,  bounded  by  rows  of  trees  so  closely 
planted  as  to  shut  out  the  view  of  the  country  almost 
entirely.  At  five  o’clock  arrived  at  L’Hotel  de  l’Empereur, 
Place  de  Mer. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


147 


CHAPTER  X. 

Age,  30  to  33 — 1786  to  1789 — 3 years. 

In  November,  1786,  returned  to  London — Resumed  my  labors  on  Amer- 
ican subjects,  especially  the  Declaration  of  Independence — Studied 
the  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis — Arranged  also  the  compositions  of 
the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton — In  May,  1787,  heard  from  Mr 
Poggi  the  story  of  the  sortie  from  Gibraltar,  and  painted  it — Its  marked 
popularity — In  the  autumn  of  1787,  again  visited  Paris,  where  I 
painted  Mr.  Jefferson  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  the 
French  officers  in  the  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis — Again  in  Paris, 
in  the  early  autumn  of  1789,  and  saw  the  first  outbreak  of  the  French 
revolution — Destruction  of  the  Bastile,  &c. — Important  conversation 
with  M.  de  La  Fayette,  reported  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States — Returned  to  London,  engaged  a ship  for  Mr.  Jefferson  and 
his  family  at  Cowes,  to  transport  them  to  America — I sailed  at  the 
same  time  in  another  vessel  for  New  York — Mr.  Jefferson  proffered 
me  the  situation  of  secretary  of  legation — Letters  which  passed  upon 
the  occasion. 

In  November,  1786,  I returned  to  London;  my  brain 
half  turned  by  the  attention  which  had  been  paid  to  my 
paintings  in  Paris,  and  by  the  multitude  of  fine  things 
which  I had  seen. 

I resumed  my  labors,  however,  and  went  on  with  my 
studies  of  other  subjects  of  the  history  of  the  Revolution, 
arranged  carefully  the  composition  for  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  and  prepared  it  for  receiving  the  portraits, 
as  I might  meet  with  the  distinguished  men,  who  were 
present  at  that  illustrious  scene.  In  the  course  of  the 
summer  of  1787,  Mr.  Adams  took  leave  of  the  court  of 
St.  James,  and  preparatory  to  the  voyage  to  America, 
had  the  powder  combed  out  of  his  hair.  Its  color  and 
natural  curl  were  beautiful,  and  I took  that  opportunity 


148 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


to  paint  his  portrait  in  the  small  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence. I also  made  various  studies  for  the  Surrender  of 
Lord  Cornwallis,  and  in  this  found  great  difficulty  ; the 
scene  was  altogether  one  of  utter  formality — the  ground 
was  level — military  etiquette  was  to  be  scrupulously  ob- 
served, and  yet  the  portraits  of  the  principal  officers  of 
three  proud  nations  must  be  preserved,  without  inter- 
rupting the  general  regularity  of  the  scene.  I drew  it 
over  and  over  again,  and  at  last,  having  resolved  upon 
the  present  arrangement.  I prepared  the  small  picture  to 
receive  the  portraits.  Some  progress  was  also  made  in 
the  composition  of  some  of  the  other  subjects,  especially 
of  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  for  which  I made 
many  studies  upon  paper. 

In  May  of  this  year,  (1787,)  M.  Poggi  told  me  the 
story  of  the  sortie  from  Gibraltar,  which  had  taken  place 
in  1781;  we  were  walking  in  Oxford  street,  in  early 
twilight — I went  to  my  lodgings,  and  before  I slept,  put 
upon  paper  a small  sketch  of  the  scene,  now  in  possession 
of  the  Atheneum,  Boston.  I was  pleased  with  the  sub- 
ject, as  offering,  in  the  gallant  conduct  and  death  of  the 
Spanish  commander,  a scene  of  deep  interest  to  the  feel- 
ings, and  in  the  contrast  of  the  darkness  of  night,  with 
the  illumination  of  an  extensive  conflagration,  great  splen- 
dor of  effect  and  color.  I therefore  proceeded  to  paint  a 
small  picture  in  colors,  on  cloth,  fourteen  by  twenty  one 
inches  ; this  was  carefully  finished,  and  afterwards  pre- 
sented to  Mr.  West,  as  an  acknowledgment  of  gratitude 
for  his  liberal  and  parental  instruction  and  kindness.  I 
soon  discovered,  however,  that  I had  committed  a great 
error,  in  dressing  my  principal  figure  in  ivhite  and  scarlet, 
supposing  that  to  have  been  the  uniform  of  the  Spanish 
artillery.  I therefore,  in  conformity  with  the  advice  which 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


149 


Mr.  West  had  always  given  me,  instead  of  attempting 
alterations,  determined  upon  painting  a second  study,  on 
a cloth  twenty  by  thirty  inches,  the  size  of  my  American 
works ; and  as  I knew  that  by  painting  them,  I had  given 
offense  to  some  extra-patriotic  people  in  England,  I now 
resolved  to  exert  my  utmost  talent  upon  the  Gibraltar,  to 
show  that  noble  and  generous  actions,  by  whomsoever 
performed,  were  the  objects  to  whose  celebration  I meant 
to  devote  myself.  I therefore  studied  this  with  great  care, 
and  obtained  successful  portraits  of  the  officers  who  were 
engaged.  This  picture  pleased,  but  I was  not  satisfied 
with  all  its  parts ; my  Spanish  hero  seemed  to  express 
something  approaching  to  ferocity,  and  several  other  parts 
appeared  to  me  not  well  balanced ; it  was  sold  to  Sir 
T.  Baring  for  five  hundred  guineas.  I resolved  upon  paint- 
ing a third,  on  a surface  six  feet  by  nine,  which  would 
give  to  my  principal  figures,  half  the  size  of  life ; in  this, 
my  Spanish  hero  was  thrown  in  an  attitude  like  the  dying 
gladiator,  (the  head  studied  from  my  friend  Lawrence.) 
Being  finished  in  the  spring  of  1789,  it  was  exhibited 
at  the  great  room,  Spring  Garden,  entrance  of  St.  James’ 
park;  and  notwithstanding  that  I was  a foreigner,  not 
only  without  family  connections  or  friends  to  support  me, 
but  with  the  remembrance  of  my  adventure  in  1780  still 
rankling  in  some  minds,  it  attracted  the  public  attention 
in  a satisfactory  degree.  The  military  were  partial  to  it, 
and  I seldom  looked  into  the  room  without  being  cheered 
by  the  sight  of  groups  of  officers  of  the  Guards,  in  their 
splendid  uniforms. 

At  this  time,  the  king  had  a severe  attack  of  that  dis- 
tressing illness,  which  some  years  after  proved  fatal ; a 
regency  was  talked  of;  and  even  the  ministry  of  the 
regent  were  arranged  in  common  conversation.  Lord 


150 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Moira,  afterwards  the  Marquis  of  Hastings,  who  had 
served  in  the  American  revolution,  was  expected  to  be 
minister  at  war ; and  at  this  time,  gave  a splendid  dinner 
to  a number  of  military  officers  of  rank.  My  picture  be- 
came a subject  of  conversation  at  table,  and  caught  his 
lordship’s  ear.  “What  painting  is  that  of  which  you 
“ speak  so  highly,  gentlemen  ?”  He  was  told  the  subject. 
“ And  who  is  the  artist  ?”  Upon  being  told  my  name,  he 
said  with  feeling,  “ Gentlemen,  nothing  done  by  that  man, 
“ ought  ever  to  be  patronized  by  officers  of  the  British 
“ army.”  I was  told  this  anecdote  the  next  day,  by  my 
friend,  Lieut.  Col.  Smith  of  the  Guards,  who  was  present 
at  the  dinner,  and  at  the  same  time  lieutenant  governor  of 
the  Tower. 

After  such  an  interdict,  I of  course  saw  few  gentlemen  in 
military  uniform  at  my  exhibition  ; it  succeeded,  however, 
better  than  I had  reason  to  expect.  A very  fine  engrav- 
ing was  afterwards  made  from  the  picture  by  Sharpe,  and 
the  picture  itself  is  now  placed  in  the  gallery  of  the  A the 
neum  at  Boston,  by  which  institution  it  was  purchased. 

Among  those  who  saw  this  picture  at  Mr.  West’s,  be- 
fore its  public  exhibition,  was  the  celebrated  connoisseur, 
Horace  Walpole,  afterwards  Lord  Orford,  who,  on  being 
asked  his  opinion,  declared,  “ that  he  regarded  it  as  the 
“ finest  picture  he  had  ever  seen,  painted  on  the  northern 
“ side  of  the  Alps.” 

Before  the  picture  was  exhibited,  I was  offered  twelve 
hundred  guineas,  (six  thousand  dollars,)  for  it,  which  I 
refused,  under  the  persuasion  that  the  exhibition,  the  print, 
and  the  ultimate  sale  of  the  picture,  would  produce  more ; 
the  event  has  proved,  that  I made  a mistake. 

In  the  autumn  of  1787,  I again  visited  Paris,  where  I 
painted  the  portrait  of  Mr.  Jefferson  in  the  original  small 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


151 


Declaration  of  Independence,  Major  General  Ross  in  the 
small  Sortie  from  Gibraltar,  and  the  French  officers  in  the 
Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  at  Yorktown  in  Virginia. 
I regard  these  as  the  best  of  my  small  portraits  ; they  were 
painted  from  the  life,  in  Mr.  Jefferson’s  house. 

I was  again  in  Paris  in  the  early  autumn  of  1789,  and 
witnessed  the  commencement  of  the  French  revolution — 
the  destruction  of  the  Bastile,  &c. — and  on  one  occasion 
attended  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette  in  a successful 
attempt  to  calm  a mob,  (principally  ouvriers ,)  in  the  Faux- 
bourg  St.  Antoine.  Soon  after,  the  Marquis  invited  me 
to  breakfast  with  him  at  an  early  hour,  and  alone.  I 
went ; he  immediately  entered  upon  a long  conversation, 
of  which  the  following  is  an  outline. 

He  began  by  saying,  “I  am  very  desirous,  Mr.  Trum- 
“bull,  that  the  President  of  the  United  States,  (Washing- 
“ ton,)  should  be  accurately  informed  of  the  state  and 
“ prospects  of  the  affairs  of  France.  I have  not  leisure 
“ to  write  so  much  at  large,  as  would  be  necessary  to 
“make  myself  well  understood,  and  knowing  that  you 
“ are  about  to  return  immediately  to  America,  and  know- 
“ ing  also  upon  what  terms  you  are  with  him,  I have  asked 
“ this  interview,  that  I may  without  interruption,  explain 
“ myself  fully  to  you,  and  I confidently  hope,  that  imme- 
“ diately  upon  your  arrival,  you  will  communicate  the  same 
“ to  him. 

“ You  have  witnessed  the  surface  of  things;  it  is  for  me 
“ to  explain  the  interior.  The  object  which  is  aimed  at 
“ by  the  Duke  de  la  Rochefaucault,  M.  Condorcet,  myself, 
“ and  some  others,  who  consider  ourselves  leaders,  is  to 
“ obtain  for  France  a constitution  nearly  resembling  that 
“ of  England,  which  we  regard  as  the  most  perfect  model 
“of  government  which  is  hitherto  known.  To  accom- 


152 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ plish  this,  it  is  necessary  to  diminish,  very  essentially, 
“ the  power  of  the  king ; but  our  object  is  to  retain  the 
“ throne,  in  great  majesty,  as  the  first  branch  of  the  legis- 
“ lative  power,  but  retrenching  its  executive  power  in  one 
“ point,  which,  though  very  important  in  the  British  crown, 
“ we  think  is  needless  here.  The  peerage  of  France  is 
“ already  so  numerous,  that  we  would  take  from  our  king 
“ the  right  of  creating  new  peers,  except  in  cases  where 
“ old  families  may  become  extinct.  To  all  this,  the  king 
“ (who  is  one  of  the  best  of  men,  and  sincerely  desirous  of 
“ the  happiness  of  his  people,)  most  freely  and  cordially 
“ consents. 

“We  wish  a house  of  peers  with  powers  of  legislation 
“ similar  to  that  of  England,  restricted  in  number  to  one 
“ hundred  members,  to  be  elected  by  the  whole  body 
“from  among  themselves,  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
“ Scotch  peers  are  in  the  British  parliament.  This  part  of 
“ our  plan  meets  no  opposition,  for,  in  the  first  place,  it  is 
“ an  acquisition  of  immense  importance  to  the  body  at 
“ large,  to  possess  a share  in  the  power  of  giving  laws  to 
“ the  nation ; and  in  the  second,  it  offers  to  every  indi- 
“ vidual  a chance  of  being  one  of  the  distinguished  hun- 
“ dred. 

“We  wish  as  the  third  branch  of  the  legislative  body, 
“ a house  of  representatives,  chosen  by  the  great  body  of 
“ the  people  from  among  themselves,  by  such  a ratio  as 
“ shall  not  make  the  house  too  numerous  ; and  this  branch 
“ of  our  project  meets  unanimous  applause. 

“ From  this  representation,  it  might  fairly  be  believed 
“ that  our  purpose  was  already  attained,  and  that  there 
“remained  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  put  the  machine 
“in  motion.  But  unhappily  there  is  one  powerful  and 
“ wicked  man,  who,  I fear,  will  destroy  this  beautiful  fabric 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


153 


“ of  human  happiness — the  Duke  of  Orleans.  He  does 
“ not  indeed  possess  talent  to  carry  into  execution  a great 
“project,  but  he  possesses  immense  wealth,  and  France 
“abounds  in  marketable  talents.  Every  city  and  town 
“ has  young  men  eminent  for  abilities,  particularly  in  the 
“ law — ardent  in  character,  eloquent,  ambitious  of  distinc- 
“ tion,  but  poor.  These  are  the  instruments  which  the 
“ Duke  may  command  by  money,  and  they  will  do  his 
“ bidding.  His  hatred  of  the  royal  family  can  be  satiated 
“ only  by  their  ruin ; his  ambition  probably  leads  him  to 
“ aspire  to  the  throne. 

“You  saw  the  other  day  in  the  mob,  men  who  were 
“called  les  Mctrseillois,  les  patriots  par  excellence.  You 
“ saw  them  particularly  active  and  audacious  in  stimula- 
“ ting  the  discontented  artisans  and  laborers  who  com- 
“ posed  the  great  mass  of  the  mob,  to  acts  of  violence 
“ and  ferocity ; those  men  are  in  truth  desperadoes,  assas- 
“ sins,  from  the  south  of  France,  familiar  with  murder, 
“robbery,  and  every  atrocious  crime,  who  have  been 
“ brought  up  to  Paris  by  the  money  of  the  Duke,  for  the 
“ very  purpose  in  which  you  saw  them  employed,  of  min- 
“ gling  in  all  mobs,  and  exciting  the  passions  of  the  peo- 
“ pie  to  frenzy. 

“ This  is  the  first  act  of  the  drama.  The  second  will 
“ be  to  influence  the  elections,  and  to  fill  the  approaching 
“Assembly  with  ardent,  inexperienced,  desperate,  am- 
“ bitious  young  men,  who,  instead  of  proceeding  to  dis- 
“ cuss  calmly  the  details  of  the  plan  of  which  I have 
“ given  you  the  general  outline,  and  to  carry  it  quietly 
“into  operation,  will,  under  disguise  of  zeal  for  the 
“ people,  and  abhorrence  of  the  aristocrats,  drive  every 
“measure  to  extremity,  for  the  purpose  of  throwing 
“ the  affairs  of  the  nation  into  utter  confusion,  when 

20 


154 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ the  master  spirit  may  accomplish  his  ultimate  pur- 
“ pose.” 

This  conversation  was  prophetic,  for  soon  after,  Mr. 
Pethion,  the  lawyer  of  Chartres,  which  gave  his  second 
title  to  the  Duke  of  Orleans  and  Chartres,  became  mayor 
of  Paris,  and  the  next  Assembly  was  filled  with  unprin- 
cipled young  men,  who  pushed  every  thing  to  excess,  and 
brought  upon  France  and  all  Europe  such  a series  of 
crime,  disaster  and  blood,  as  the  world  never  before  saw, 
and  all  this  under  the  abused  names  of  liberty,  equality, 
and  the  rights  of  man. 

Soon  after  this  conversation  I returned  to  London,  and 
Mr.  Jefferson  having  obtained  leave  of  absence  for  a short 
time,  to  return  to  America,  and  finding  no  ship  in  any 
port  of  France  convenient  for  his  family  and  himself, 
desired  me  to  engage  one  in  London,  to  receive  him  on 
board  at  Cowes.  I did  so,  and  we  sailed  on  the  same 
day,  in  different  ships,  for  the  United  States ; he  for  Nor- 
folk in  Virginia,  I for  New  York. 

In  the  course  of  this  summer,  Mr.  Short,  who  had  been 
the  secretary  of  Mr.  Jefferson  during  his  entire  mission, 
having  expressed  a disposition  to  leave  the  situation,  for 
the  purpose  of  returning  to  the  United  States,  and  enter- 
ing upon  the  studies  necessary  for  a profession  in  future 
life,  the  following  letters  were  written. 

Paris,  May  21,  1789. 

To  John  Trumbull,  London. 

Dear  Sir — I have  not  yet  received  my  leave  of  ab- 
sence, but  I expect  it  hourly,  and  shall  go  off  within  an 
hour  after  I receive  it.  Mr.  Short  will  stay  till  I come 
back,  and  then  I think  he  has  it  in  contemplation  to 
return  to  America ; of  this  however  I am  not  sure,  having 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


155 


avoided  asking  him,  lest  he  should  mistake  mere  curi- 
osity for  inclination.  If  he  does  not  go,  all  which  I am 
going  to  say  may  be  considered  as  non  avenu ; if  he 
goes,  would  you  like  his  office  of  private  secretary  1 Its 
duties  consist  almost  entirely  in  copying  papers,  and  were 
you  to  do  this  yourself,  it  would  only  occupy  now  and 
then  one  of  your  evenings ; and  if  you  did  not  choose  to 
do  it  yourself,  you  can  hire  it  done,  for  so  many  sous  a 
sheet,  as  it  is  rare  that  there  is  any  thing  secret  to  be 
copied.  Sometimes,  indeed,  there  is  a squall  of  work,  but 
it  can  be  hired,  and  comes  very  rarely.  The  salary  is 
three  hundred  pounds  a year,  which  is  paid  by  the  public. 
I have  given  Mr.  Short  his  lodging  and  board,  and  shall  do 
the  same  to  you  with  great  pleasure. 

I think  it  will  not  take  a moment  of  your  time  from 
your  present  pursuit ; perhaps  it  might  advantage  that,  by 
transferring  it  for  a while  to  Paris,  and  perhaps  it  may 
even  give  you  an  opportunity  of  going  to  Italy,  as  your 
duties,  performed  by  another  during  your  absence,  would 
cost  a very  little  part  of  your  salary.  Think  of  this  propo- 
sition, my  dear  sir,  and  give  me  your  answer  as  soon  as 
you  can  decide  to  your  satisfaction,  sending  it  after  me 
to  America,  if  I should  be  gone  there.  I should  wish  to 
know  while  there,  because  if  you  do  not  accept,  I must 
bring  from  thence  some  other  proper  person. 

But,  whether  you  accept  or  not,  be  so  good  as  to  keep 
it  secret  till  the  moment  of  its  execution,  unless  you  choose 
to  mention  it  to  Mr.  West,  for  the  purpose  of  consulting 
him,  (under  the  same  injunction.)  Observe,  this  need 
neither  hasten  nor  retard  you  trip  to  America. 

I am,  with  sincere  esteem, 

Dear  sir,  your  friend  and  servant, 

Thos.  Jefferson. 


156 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Paris,  June  1st,  1789. 

John  Trumbull, 

Dear  Sir — Your  favor  of  the  26th  of  May  came  to 
hand  yesterday.  As  you  express  yourself  doubtfully  on 
the  proposition  in  my  last,  and  it  may  be  because  I did 
not  sufficiently  explain  the  event  which  may  give  place 
for  that  arrangement,  I will  observe  to  you,  that  Mr.  Short 
and  myself  came  here  with  an  idea  of  staying  but  two 
years,  because  my  commission  was  limited  to  that.  Dr. 
Franklin’s  departure  produced  another  commission  to  me, 
to  remain  here  indefinitely.  Though  I do  not  propose  to 
be  very  long  in  any  office,  yet  as  long  as  I remain  in  any, 
I believe  I shall  prefer  the  present  one.  This  will  be  for 
some  years,  if  it  depend  upon  myself ; but  I am  going  out 
of  life — Mr.  Short  is  coming  in.  He  has  never  viewed 
his  present  situation  but  as  temporary  ; his  views  are  justly 
directed  to  something  permanent,  independent,  in  his  own 
country,  and  which  may  admit  him  to  marry ; his  talents, 
his  virtues,  and  his  connections,  ensure  him  any  thing  he 
may  desire.  Perhaps  he  has  already  let  pass  the  most 
favorable  opportunity  of  putting  himself  in  the  way  of  pre- 
ferment ; but  these  opportunities  will  recur.  His  letters 
to  me  during  his  absence,  showed  to  me  that  he  thought 
it  time  to  return  to  his  own  country,  and  some  expressions 
in  conversation  make  me  suppose  that  he  means  to  do 
it  on  my  return.  I have  not  asked  his  decision,  lest  he 
might  mistake  my  wishes.  He  put  himself  under  my 
guidance  at  nineteen  or  twenty  years  of  age ; he  is  to  me 
therefore  as  an  adopted  son,  and  nothing  is  more  inter- 
esting to  me,  than  that  he  should  do  what  is  best  for 
himself.  It  is  on  this  principle  alone  that  I shall  acquiesce 
in  his  leaving  me,  because  I am  persuaded  that  he  will 
obtain  better  positions.  Your  great  pursuit,  on  the  con- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


157 


trary,  renders  a continuance  in  Europe  more  eligible  to 
you,  and  it  was  the  expectation  that  a residence  here 
might  be  thought  advantageous,  which  permitted  me  to 
indulge  the  wish  that  you  would  accept  of  Mr.  Short’s 
place,  if  he  should  decide  to  quit  it.  I hope  from  your 
letter,  that  you  are  not  indisposed  to  it,  and  be  assured 
that  I shall  do  every  thing  in  my  power,  to  make  the  office 
further  your  improvement,  and  not  obstruct  it.  I shall 
be  happy  to  meet  you  in  America,  and  to  know  there  your 
decision,  though  it  would  be  more  convenient  to  me,  to 
know  it  before,  because  I might  be  on  the  lookout  for  a 
person,  if  your  decision  is  contrary  to  my  wish.  In  all 
cases,  I am,  with  sincere  esteem  and  attachment,  dear  sir, 
Your  affectionate  friend  and  servant, 

Thos.  Jefferson. 

London,  June  11th,  1789. 

To  Thos.  Jefferson,  Esq.,  &c.  &c.,  at  Paris. 

Dear  Sir — I have  received  yours  of  the  1st,  by  the 
last  post,  and  am  happy  that  you  find  the  account  correct ; 
since  writing  that,  you  will  have  received  by  Mr.  Broome, 
the  bill  of  exchange.  You  will  receive  by  the  diligence 
to-morrow,  Sterne’s  Sermons,  Tristram  Shandy,  and  the 
Sentimental  Journey,  unbound;  being  all  of  his  works 
which  have  been  published  by  Wenman,  in  his  very  small 
size ; they  cost  eight  shillings,  sixpence. 

If  my  affairs  were  in  other  respects  as  I could  wish 
them,  I should  have  given  at  once  a positive  answer  to 
your  proposition.  It  would  have  been  an  answer  of 
thankfulness  and  acceptance,  for  nothing  could  be  pro- 
posed to  me  more  flattering  to  my  pride,  or  more  conso- 
nant, at  least  for  a time,  to  my  favorite  pursuit.  The 


158 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


greatest  motive  I had  or  have  for  engaging  in,  or  for  con- 
tinuing my  pursuit  of  painting,  has  been  the  wish  of  com- 
memorating the  great  events  of  our  country’s  revolution. 
I am  fully  sensible  that  the  profession,  as  it  is  generally 
practiced,  is  frivolous,  little  useful  to  society,  and  unworthy 
of  a man  who  has  talents  for  more  serious  pursuits.  But, 
to  preserve  and  diffuse  the  memory  of  the  noblest  series 
of  actions  which  have  ever  presented  themselves  in  the 
history  of  man ; to  give  to  the  present  and  the  future  sons 
of  oppression  and  misfortune,  such  glorious  lessons  of  their 
rights,  and  of  the  spirit  with  which  they  should  assert 
and  support  them,  and  even  to  transmit  to  their  descend- 
ants, the  personal  resemblance  of  those  who  have  been 
the  great  actors  in  those  illustrious  scenes,  were  objects 
which  gave  a dignity  to  the  profession,  peculiar  to  my 
situation.  And  some  superiority  also  arose  from  my  hav- 
ing borne  personally  a humble  part  in  the  great  events 
which  I was  to  describe.  No  one  lives  with  me  pos- 
sessing this  advantage,  and  no  one  can  come  after  me  to 
divide  the  honor  of  truth  and  authenticity,  however  easily 
I may  hereafter  be  exceeded  in  elegance.  Vanity  was 
thus  on  the  side  of  duty,  and  I flattered  myself  that  by 
devoting  a few  years  of  life  to  this  object,  I did  not  make 
an  absolute  waste  of  time,  or  squander  uselessly,  talents 
from  which  my  country  might  justly  demand  more  valua- 
ble services  ; and  I feel  some  honest  pride  in  the  prospect 
of  accomplishing  a work,  such  as  had  never  been  done 
before,  and  in  which  it  was  not  easy  that  I should  have  a 
rival. 

With  how  much  assiduity,  and  with  what  degree  of 
success,  I have  pursued  the  studies  necessarily  prepara- 
tory to  this  purpose,  the  world  will  decide  in  the  judg- 
ment it  shall  pass  on  the  picture  (of  Gibraltar)  which  I 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


159 


now  exhibit  to  them;  and  I need  not  fear  that  this 
judgment  will  deceive  me,  for  it  will  be  biased  here,  to 
a favorable  decision,  by  no  partiality  for  me,  or  for  my 
country. 

But,  while  I have  done  whatever  depended  upon  my 
personal  exertions,  I have  been  under  the  necessity  of 
employing,  and  relying  upon  the  exertions  of  another. 
The  two  paintings  which  you  saw  in  Paris  three  years 
ago,  (Bunker’s  Hill  and  Quebec,)  I placed  in  the  hands 
of  a print-seller  and  publisher,  to  cause  to  be  engraved, 
and  as  the  prospect  of  profit  to  him  was  considerable,  I 
relied  upon  his  using  the  utmost  energy  and  dispatch ; 
instead  of  which,  three  years  have  been  suffered  to  elapse, 
without  almost  the  smallest  progress  having  been  made 
in  the  work.  Instead  therefore  of  having  a work  already 
far  advanced  to  submit  to  the  world  and  to  my  country- 
men, I am  but  where  I was  three  years  since,  with  the 
deduction  from  my  ways  and  means  of  three  years’  ex- 
penses, with  prospects  blighted,  and  the  hope  of  the 
future  damped  by  the  experience  of  past  mismanagement. 
And  the  most  serious  reflection  is,  that  the  memory  and 
enthusiasm  for  actions  however  great,  fade  daily  from 
the  human  mind ; that  the  warm  attention  which  the 
nations  of  Europe  once  paid  to  us,  begins  to  be  diverted 
to  objects  more  nearly  and  immediately  interesting  to 
themselves;  and  that  France,  in  particular,  from  which 
country  I entertained  peculiar  hopes  of  patronage,  is  be- 
ginning to  be  too  much  occupied  by  her  own  approaching 
revolution,  to  think  so  much  of  us  as  perhaps  she  did 
formerly. 

Thus  circumstanced,  I foresee  the  utter  impossibility  of 
proceeding  in  my  work,  without  the  warm  patronage  of 
my  countrymen.  Three  or  four  years  more  must  pass 


160 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


before  I can  reap  any  considerable  advantage  from  what 
I am  doing  in  this  country,  and  as  I am  far  from  being 
rich,  those  years  must  not  be  employed  in  prosecu- 
ting a plan,  which,  without  the  real  patronage  of  my 
country,  will  only  involve  me  in  new  certainties  of  great 
and  immediate  expense,  with  little  probability  of  even 
distant  recompense.  I do  not  aim  at  opulence,  but  I 
must  not  knowingly  rush  into  embarrassment  and  ruin. 

I am  ashamed  to  trouble  you  with  such  details,  but 
without  them,  I could  not  so  well  have  explained  my 
reason  for  not  giving  you  at  once  a decided  answer.  You 
see,  sir,  that  my  future  movements  depend  entirely  upon 
my  reception  in  America,  and  as  that  shall  be  cordial  or 
cold,  I am  to  decide  whether  to  abandon  my  country  or 
my  profession.  I think  I shall  determine  without  much 
hesitation ; for  although  I am  secure  of  a kind  reception 
in  any  quarter  of  the  globe,  if  I will  follow  the  general 
example  of  my  profession  by  flattering  the  pride  or  apolo- 
gizing for  the  vices  of  men,  yet  the  ease,  perhaps  even 
elegance,  which  would  be  the  fruit  of  such  conduct,  would 
compensate  but  poorly  for  the  contempt  which  I should 
feel  for  myself,  and  for  the  necessity  which  it  would  impose 
upon  me  of  submitting  to  a voluntary  sentence  of  per- 
petual exile.  I hope  for  better  things.  Monuments  have 
been  in  repeated  instances  voted  to  her  heroes ; why  then 
should  I doubt  a readiness  in  our  country  to  encourage 
me  in  producing  monuments,  not  of  heroes  only,  but  of 
those  events  on  which  their  title  to  the  gratitude  of  the 
nation  is  founded,  and  which  by  being  multiplied  and  little 
expensive,  may  be  diffused  over  the  world,  instead  of 
being  bounded  to  one  narrow  spot? 

Immediately  therefore  upon  my  arrival  in  America,  I 
shall  offer  a subscription  for  prints  to  be  published  from 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


161 


such  a series  of  pictures  as  I intend,  with  the  condition  of 
returning  their  money  to  subscribers,  if  the  sum  received 
shall  not  prove  to  be  sufficient  to  justify  me  in  proceeding 
with  the  work ; and  I shall  first  solicit  the  public  protec- 
tion of  Congress. 

I am  told  that  it  is  a custom  in  France,  for  the  king  to 
be  considered  as  a subscriber  for  one  hundred  copies  of 
all  elegant  wrorks  engraved  by  his  subjects ; that  these  are 
deposited  in  the  Bibliotheque  du  Roi,  and  distributed  as 
presents  to  foreigners  of  distinction  and  taste,  as  specimens 
of  the  state  of  the  fine  arts  in  France.  Would  this  be  a 
mode  of  diffusing  a knowledge  of  their  origin,  and  at  the 
same  time  a lesson  on  the  rights  of  humanity,  improper 
to  be  adopted  by  the  United  States  ? And  if  the  exam- 
ple of  past  greatness  be  a powerful  incentive  to  emulation, 
w’ould  such  prints  be  improper  presents  to  their  servants  1 
The  expense  would  be  small,  and  the  purpose  of  monu- 
ments and  medals  as  rewards  of  merit,  and  confirmations 
of  history,  would  receive  a valuable  support,  since  perhaps 
it  may  be  the  fate  of  prints,  sometimes  to  outlast  either 
marble  or  bronze. 

If  a subscription  of  this  sort  should  fill  in  such  a manner 
as  to  justify  me,  I shall  proceed  with  all  possible  diligence, 
and  must  of  course  pass  some  years  in  Europe ; and  as  I 
have  acquired  that  knowledge  in  this  country  which  was 
my  only  object  for  residing  here,  and  shall  have  many 
reasons  for  preferring  Paris  hereafter,  I shall  in  that  case 
be  happy  and  proud  to  accept  your  flattering  proposal. 
But  if,  on  the  contrary,  my  countrymen  should  not  give 
me  such  encouragement  as  I wish  and  hope,  I must  give 
up  the  pursuit,  and  of  course  I shall  have  little  desire  to 
return  for  any  stay  in  Europe.  In  the  mean  time,  viewing 
the  absolute  uncertainty  of  my  situation,  I must  beg  you 

21 


162 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


not  to  pass  by  any  more  favorable  subject  which  may 
offer,  before  I have  the  happiness  to  meet  you  in  America, 
which  I hope  will  be  ere  long. 

I have  the  honor  to  be,  very  gratefully, 

Dear  sir,  your  most  faithful  servant, 

John  Trumbull. 


/ 


LITE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL.  163 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Age,  33  to  38 — 1789  to  1794 — 5 years. 

Arrival  in  New  York — The  government  organized — General  Washing- 
ton president — Communicate  to  him  the  state  of  political  affairs  in 
France — Proceed  to  visit  my  friends  in  Connecticut — Return  to  New 
York  in  pursuit  of  portraits  for  my  great  work — Congress  in  session — 
In  April,  1790,  offered  my  subscriptions  for  the  pictures  of  Bunker’s 
Hill  and  Quebec — In  May  went  to  Philadelphia — Returned  to  New 
York  in  July,  and  painted  for  the  city  a full  length  portrait  of  Wash- 
ington— In  September  went  into  the  country,  and  passed  some  time 
with  my  friends — Visited  Boston  and  New  Hampshire — Returned 
through  Connecticut  to  Philadelphia,  to  which  place  Congress  had 
adjourned — In  February  went  to  Charleston,  S.  C. — Obtained  por- 
traits— Return  in  June  to  Connecticut — Painted  the  portrait  of  Gen. 
George  Clinton — In  1792  again  in  Philadelphia,  and  there  painted  the 
portrait  of  Washington,  at  the  order  of  the  city  of  Charleston,  S.  C. — 
In  1793  again  in  the  eastern  states — Subscription  languishes — Mission 
of  Mr.  Jay — Appointed  by  him  to  be  his  secretary — Embark  with  him 
June,  1794 — The  government  insulted  by  a mob  in  Philadelphia — Dis- 
trict of  Columbia  selected,  and  city  of  Washington  planned. 

I arrived  in  New  York  on  the  26th  of  November, 
1789,  where  I found  the  government  of  the  United  States 
organized  under  the  new  constitution,  General  Wash- 
ington president.  I lost  no  time  in  communicating  to  him 
the  state  of  political  affairs,  and  the  prospects  of  France, 
as  explained  to  me  by  M.  La  Fayette,  and  having  done 
this,  proceeded  immediately  to  visit  my  family  and  friends 
in  Connecticut.  My  excellent  father  had  died  in  1785, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  My  brother,  and  my  friend, 
Col.  Wadsworth  of  Hartford,  were  members  of  the  house 
of  representatives  in  Congress,  which  was  to  meet  in  New 
York  early  in  December.  With  them  I returned  to  New 


164 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


York,  for  the  purpose  of  pursuing  my  work  of  the  Revolu- 
tion ; all  the  world  was  assembled  there,  and  I obtained 
many  portraits  for  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  Sur- 
render of  Cornwallis,  and  also  that  of  General  Washing- 
ton in  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  and  in  April, 
1790, 1 offered  my  subscription  for  the  two  first  engravings 
from  the  pictures  of  Bunker’s  Hill  and  Quebec,  which  had 
at  last  been  contracted  for  with  Mr.  Muller  of  Stutgard  in 
Germany,  and  Mr.  Clements  of  Denmark.  I obtained  the  . 
names  of  the  president,  vice  president,  ministers,  seven- 
teen senators,  twenty-seven  representatives,  and  a num- 
ber of  the  citizens  of  New  York.  (See,  in  the  Appendix, 
the  original  proposals.) 

In  May,  I went  to  Philadelphia,  where  I obtained  some 
portraits  for  my  great  work,  and  a number  of  subscribers. 

I returned  in  July  to  New  York,  where  I was  requested 
to  paint  for  the  corporation  a full  length  portrait  of  the 
President.  I represented  him  in  full  uniform,  standing  by 
a white  horse,  leaning  his  arm  upon  the  saddle ; in  the 
background,  a view  of  Broadway  in  ruins,  as  it  then  was, 
the  old  fort  at  the  termination ; British  ships  and  boats 
leaving  the  shore,  with  the  last  of  the  officers  and  troops 
of  the  evacuating  army,  and  Staten  Island  in  the  distance. 
The  picture  is  now  in  the  common  council  room  of  the 
city  hall.  Every  part  of  the  detail  of  the  dress,  horse,  fur- 
niture, &c.,  as  well  as  the  scenery,  was  accurately  copied 
from  the  real  objects. 

At  this  time,  a numerous  deputation  from  the  Creek 
nation  of  Indians  was  in  New  York,  and  when  this  paint- 
ing was  finished,  the  President  was  curious  to  see  the 
effect  it  would  produce  on  their  untutored  minds.  He 
therefore  directed  me  to  place  the  picture  in  an  advan- 
tageous light,  facing  the  door  of  entrance  of  the  room 


Plate  (8.  ■ 


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/ 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


165 


where  it  was,  and  having  invited  several  of  the  principal 
chiefs  to  dine  with  him,  he,  after  dinner,  proposed  to 
them  a walk.  He  was  dressed  in  full  uniform,  and  led 
the  way  to  the  painting-room,  and  when  the  door  was 
thrown  open,  they  started  at  seeing  another  “Great  Fa- 
ther” standing  in  the  room.  One  was  certainly  with 
them,  and  they  were  for  a time  mute  with  astonishment. 
At  length  one  of  the  chiefs  advanced  towards  the  pic- 
ture, and  slowly  stretched  out  his  hand  to  touch  it,  and 
was  still  more  astonished  to  feel,  instead  of  a round  object, 
a flat  surface,  cold  to  the  touch.  He  started  back  with  an 
exclamation  of  astonishment — “ Ugh !”  Another  then 
approached,  and  placing  one  hand  on  the  surface  and  the 
other  behind,  was  still  more  astounded  to  perceive  that 
•his  hands  almost  met.  I had  been  desirous  of  obtaining 
portraits  of  some  of  these  principal  men,  who  possessed 
a dignity  of  manner,  form,  countenance  and  expression, 
worthy  of  Roman  senators,  but  after  this  I found  it  im- 
practicable ; they  had  received  the  impression,  that  there 
must  be  magic  in  an  art  which  could  render  a smooth  flat 
surface  so  like  to  a real  man ; I however  succeeded  in 
obtaining  drawings  of  several  by  stealth. 

In  September  I went  into  the  country,  passed  some 
time  with  my  family,  then  went  on  to  Boston  and  New 
Hampshire,  obtained  heads  of  several  statesmen  and  mili- 
tary officers  for  my  great  work,  and  in  Boston  received 
a handsome  addition  to  my  list  of  subscribers.  I returned 
through  Connecticut  to  Philadelphia,  to  which  place  Con- 
gress had  adjourned  from  New  l^ork.  In  February  I went 
to  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  there  obtained  portraits  of  the 
Rutledges,  Pinckneys,  Middleton,  Laurens,  Heyward,  &c., 
and  a handsome  addition  to  my  list  of  subscribers.  On 
the  17th  of  April,  I sailed  for  Yorktown  in  Virginia,  and 


166 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


there  made  a drawing  of  the  spot  where  the  British  army, 
commanded  by  Lord  Cornwallis,  surrendered  in  1781  ; 
thence  rode  to  Williamsburg,  and  obtained  a drawing  of 
Mr.  Wythe  for  the  Declaration ; thence  to  Richmond ; 
thence  to  Fredericksburg,  and  obtained  a drawing  of 
General  Weedon  for  the  battle  of  Trenton;  thence  to 
Georgetown,  where  I found  Major  L’Enfant  drawing  his 
plan  of  the  city  of  Washington;  rode  with  him  over  the 
ground  on  which  the  city  has  since  been  built — where  the 
Capitol  now  stands  was  then  (May,  1791)  a thick  wood  ; 
delayed  a few  days  in  Philadelphia,  and  the  same  in  New 
York,  and  in  June  was  again  among  my  friends  in  Con- 
necticut. 

After  a few  days’  stay,  I returned  to  New  York,  where 
I painted  for  the  corporation  the  whole  length  portrait  of 
General  George  Clinton,  which  is  now  in  the  common 
council-room  of  the  City  Hall.  The  background  of  this 
picture  represents  British  troops  storming  Fort  Montgom- 
ery in  the  Highlands,  (where  the  general  commanded,) 
and  the  burning  of  two  frigates  in  the  North  River ; this 
background  is  one  of  my  favorite  compositions. 

In  1792  I was  again  in  Philadelphia,  and  there  painted 
the  portrait  of  General  Washington,  which  is  now  placed 
in  the  gallery  at  New  Haven,  the  best  certainly  of  those 
which  I painted,  and  the  best,  in  my  estimation,  which 
exists,  in  his  heroic  military  character.  The  city  of 
Charleston,  S.  C.  instructed  William  R.  Smith,  one  of  the 
representatives  of  South  Carolina,  to  employ  me  to  paint 
for  them  a portrait  of  the  great  man , and  I undertook  it 
con  amove , (as  the  commission  was  unlimited,)  meaning  to 
give  his  military  character,  in  the  mosf  sublime  moment  of 
its  exertion — the  evening  previous  to  the  battle  of  Prince- 
ton ; when  viewing  the  vast  superiority  of  his  approaching 


LIFE  OF  JOHJV  TRUMBULL. 


167 


enemy,  and  the  impossibility  of  again  crossing  the  Dela- 
ware, or  retreating  down  the  river,  he  conceives  the  plan 
of  returning  by  a night  march  into  the  country  from 
which  he  had  just  been  driven,  thus  cutting  off  the 
enemy’s  communication,  and  destroying  his  depot  of  stores 
and  provisions  at  Brunswick.  I told  the  President  my 
object ; he  entered  into  it  warmly,  and,  as  the  work  ad- 
vanced, we  talked  of  the  scene,  its  dangers,  its  almost 
desperation.  He  looked  the  scene  again,  and  I happily 
transferred  to  the  canvass,  the  lofty  expression  of  his  ani- 
mated countenance,  the  high  resolve  to  conquer  or  to 
perish.  The  result  was  in  my  own  opinion  eminently  suc- 
cessful, and  the  general  was  satisfied.  But  it  did  not 
meet  the  views  of  Mr.  Smith.  He  admired,  he  was  per- 
sonally pleased,  but  he  thought  the  city  would  be  better 
satisfied  with  a more  matter-of-fact  likeness,  such  as  they 
had  recently  seen  him — calm,  tranquil,  peaceful. 

Oppressed  as  the  President  was  with  business,  I was 
reluctant  to  ask  him  to  sit  again.  I however  waited  upon 
him,  stated  Mr.  Smith’s  objection,  and  he  cheerfully  sub- 
mitted to  a second  penance,  adding,  “ Keep  this  picture 
“for  yourself,  Mr.  Trumbull,  and  finish  it  to  your  own 
“ taste.”  I did  so — another  was  painted  for  Charleston, 
agreeable  to  their  taste — a view  of  the  city  in  the  back- 
ground, a horse,  with  scenery,  and  plants  of  the  cli- 
mate ; and  when  the  state  society  of  Cincinnati  of  Con- 
necticut dissolved  themselves,  the  first  picture,  at  the 
expense  of  some  of  the  members,  was  presented  to  Yale 
College. 

In  1793  I again  went  to  Boston  by  the  way  of  New- 
port and  Providence,  and  there  obtained  drawings  of  Mr. 
Ellery,  Col.  Olney,  Judge  Howel,  &c.  Wherever  I went 
I offered  my  subscription  book,  but  wretched  was  now 


168 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


the  success,  and  rapidly  decreasing  the  enthusiasm  for  my 
national  work. 

The  progress  of  the  French  revolution  was  blasting  to 
my  hopes ; for  in  four  years  which  had  elapsed  since  my 
interview  and  conversation  with  M.  de  La  Fayette,  in  Paris, 
recorded  in  the  preceding  chapter,  all  the  evils  which  he 
had  there  anticipated,  had  been  realized.  The  money  of 
that  bad  man,  the  Citizen  Egalite , had  been  successfully 
applied  to  the  nefarious  purposes  which  he  (the  Marquis) 
had  foretold — the  elections  had  been  corrupted — the  worst 
of  men  had  been  introduced  into  the  National  Assembly — 
the  beautiful  theory  of  those  estimable  men,  the  early  lead- 
ers of  the  revolution,  had  been  subverted — France  had  been 
overwhelmed  in  crime,  and  deluged  with  blood — the  king 
had  been  beheaded,  Lafayette  himself  had  been  exiled, 
and  the  author  of  all  these  calamities  had  expiated  his 
crimes  under  the  same  axe  which  had  fallen  on  so  many 
virtuous  men. 

In  America,  the  artful  intrigues  of  French  diploma- 
tists, and  the  blunders  of  the  British  government,  united 
to  convert  the  whole  American  people  into  violent  parti- 
sans of  one  or  the  other ; — to  such  a degree  did  this 
insanity  prevail,  that  the  whole  country  seemed  to  be 
changed  into  one  vast  arena,  on  which  the  two  parties, 
forgetting  their  national  character,  were  wasting  their  time, 
their  thoughts,  their  energy,  on  this  foreign  quarrel.  The 
calm  splendor  of  our  own  Revolution,  comparatively  ra- 
tional and  beneficial  as  it  had  been,  was  eclipsed  in  the 
meteoric  glare  and  horrible  blaze  of  glory  of  republican 
France ; and  we,  who  in  our  own  case,  had  scarcely  stain- 
ed the  sacred  robe  of  rational  liberty  with  a single  drop  of 
blood  unnecessarily  shed,  learned  to  admire  that  hideous 
frenzy  which  made  the  very  streets  of  Paris  flow  with 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


169 


blood.  And  worse,  some  of  our  people,  or  of  those  who 
called  themselves  Americans,  even  hurraed  when  the  head 
of  Louis  XVI,  our  real  benefactor,  was  submitted  to  that 
instrument  of  wholesale  butchery,  the  guillotine.  Still 
worse,  when  the  National  Assembly  of  France,  the  elected 
rulers  of  a great  nation,  formed  a procession  to  the  me- 
tropolitan church  of  Notre  Dame,  which  had  been  conse- 
crated during  long  ages  to  the  worship  of  God,  and  there 
in  mock  solemnity  bowed  their  knees  before  a common 
courtezan,  basely  worshiping  her  as  the  goddess  of  reason, 
still  there  were  those,  and  not  a few  in  America,  who 
threw  up  their  caps,  and  cried,  “ glorious,  glorious,  sister 
“ republic  !”  The  spirit  of  discord  which  thus  distracted 
the  people  of  America,  pervaded  also  the  very  cabinet 
of  the  President,  and  Mr.  Jefferson,  the  secretary  of  state, 
became  the  apologist  of  France,  and  was  pitted  against 
Mr.  Hamilton,  the  secretary  of  the  treasury. 

In  such  a state  of  things,  what  hope  remained  for  the 
arts  1 None, — my  great  enterprise  was  blighted. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  aggressions  of  Great  Britain  upon 
our  commerce  became  intolerable,  and  the  question  of 
peace  or  war  with  her,  came  to  be  seriously  agitated. 
The  President,  unawed  by  popular  clamor,  determined  to 
try  the  effect  of  negotiation ; and  John  Jay,  chief  justice 
of  the  United  States,  was  appointed  envoy  extraordinary 
to  Great  Britain.  He  did  me  the  honor  to  offer  me  the 
situation  of  secretary,  and  I accepted  the  proposal  with 
pleasure. 

It  has  been  seen,  that  in  Europe  I had  been  on  terms 
of  confidence  with  Mr.  Jefferson  ; this  continued  for  some 
time,  so  that  in  America,  when  the  first  mission  to  the 
states  of  Barbary  was  determined  on,  it  was,  through  him, 
offered  to  me,  and  declined ; but  as  the  French  revolution 

22 


170 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


advanced,  my  whole  soul  revolted  from  the  atrocities  of 
France,  while  he  approved  or  apologized  for  all.  He 
opposed  Washington — I revered  him — and  a coldness 
gradually  succeeded,  until  in  1793,  he  invited  me  to 
dine.  A few  days  before,  I had  offended  his  friend,  Mr. 
Giles,  senator  from  Virginia,  by  rendering  him  ridiculous 
in  the  eyes  of  a lady,*  to  whose  favorable  opinion  he 
aspired.  On  entering  the  drawing-room  at  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son’s, on  the  day  of  the  dinner,  I found  a part  of  the 
company  already  assembled,  and  among  them  Mr.  Giles. 
I was  scarcely  seated,  when  Giles  began  to  rally  me 
upon  the  puritanical  ancestry  and  character  of  New  Eng- 
land. I saw  there  was  no  other  person  from  New  England 
present,  and  therefore,  although  conscious  that  I was  in 
no  degree  qualified  to  manage  a religious  discussion,  yet 
I felt  myself  bound  to  make  the  attempt,  and  defend  my 
country  on  this  delicate  point,  as  well  as  I could. 

Whether  it  had  been  pre-arranged  that  a discussion  on 
the  Christian  religion,  in  which  it  should  be  powerfully 
ridiculed  on  the  one  side,  and  weakly  defended  on  the 
other,  should  be  brought  forward,  as  promising  amusement 
to  a rather  freethinking  dinner  party,  I will  not  determine ; 
but  it  had  that  appearance,  and  Mr.  Giles  pushed  his  rail- 
lery, to  my  no  small  annoyance,  if  not  to  my  discomfiture, 
until  dinner  was  announced.  That  I hoped  would  relieve 
me,  by  giving  a new  turn  to  the  conversation,  but  such 
was  not  the  case  ; the  company  was  hardly  seated  at  table, 
when  he  renewed  his  attack  with  increased  asperity,  and 
proceeded  so  far  at  last,  as  to  ridicule  the  character,  con- 
duct, and  doctrines  of  the  divine  founder  of  our  religion — 
Jefferson  in  the  mean  time,  smiling  and  nodding  approba- 


See  Appendix. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


171 


tion  on  Mr.  Giles,  while  the  rest  of  the  company  silently 
left  me  and  my  defense  to  our  fate ; until  at  length  my 
friend,  David  Franks,  (first  cashier  of  the  bank  of  the 
United  States,)  took  up  the  argument  on  my  side.  Think- 
ing this  a fair  opportunity  for  evading  further  conversation 
on  this  subject,  I turned  to  Mr.  Jefferson  and  said,  “ Sir, 
“ this  is  a strange  situation  in  which  I find  myself ; in  a 
“ country  professing  Christianity,  and  at  a table  with 
“ Christians,  as  I supposed,  I find  my  religion  and  myself 
“ attacked  with  severe  and  almost  irresistible  wit  and  rail- 
“ lery,  and  not  a person  to  aid  me  in  my  defense,  but  my 
“ friend  Mr.  Franks,  who  is  himself  a Jew .”  For  a mo- 
ment, this  attempt  to  parry  the  discussion  appeared  to 
have  some  effect ; but  Giles  soon  returned  to  the  attack, 
with  renewed  virulence,  and  burst  out  with — “ It  is  all  a 
“ miserable  delusion  and  priestcraft ; I do  not  believe  one 
“ word  of  all  they  say  about  a future  state  of  existence, 
“ and  retribution  for  actions  done  here.  I do  not  believe 
“ one  word  of  a Supreme  Being  who  takes  cognizance  of 
“ the  paltry  affairs  of  this  world,  and  to  whom  we  are 
“ responsible  for  what  we  do.” 

I had  never  before  heard,  or  seen  in  writing,  such  a 
broad  and  unqualified  avowal  of  atheism.  I was  at  first 
shocked,  and  remained  a moment  silent ; but  soon  rallied 
and  replied,  “Mr.  Giles,  I admire  your  frankness,  and  it 
“ is  but  just  that  I should  be  equally  frank  in  avowing 
“ my  sentiments.  Sir,  in  my  opinion,  the  man  who  can 
“ with  sincerity  make  the  declaration  which  you  have  just 
“ made,  is  perfectly  prepared  for  the  commission  of  every 
“ atrocious  action,  by  which  he  can  promise  himself  the 
“ advancement  of  his  own  interest,  or  the  gratification  of 
“ his  impure  passions,  provided  he  can  commit  it  secretly, 
“ and  with  a reasonable  probability  of  escaping  detection 


172 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ by  his  fellow  men.  Sir,  I would  not  trust  such  a man 
“ with  the  honor  of  a wife,  a sister,  or  a daughter — with 
“ my  own  purse  or  reputation,  or  with  any  thing  which  I 
“ thought  valuable.  Our  acquaintance,  sir,  is  at  an  end.” 
I rose  and  left  the  company,  and  never  after  spoke  to 
Mr.  Giles. 

I have  thought  it  proper  to  relate  this  conversation, 
as  helping  to  elucidate  the  character  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  on 
the  disputed  point  of  leant  of  credulity , as  he  would  call  it. 
In  nodding  and  smiling  assent  to  all  the  virulence  of  his 
friend,  Mr.  Giles,  he  appeared  to  me  to  avow  most  dis- 
tinctly, his  entire  approbation.  From  this  time  my  ac- 
quaintance with  Mr.  Jefferson  became  cold  and  distant. 

During  this  period,  recurred  to  my  remembrance,  in  all 
its  force,  the  wise  advice  of  Mr.  Burke,  which  I had  so 
absurdly  neglected  to  follow,  “ to  study  architecture”  The 
government  of  the  United  States,  having  been  insulted 
by  a mob  in  Philadelphia,  which  they  had  not  power  to 
repress,  had  felt  the  necessity  of  possessing  a territory 
under  their  own  exclusive  jurisdiction,  where  state  author- 
ities or  mobs  should  have  no  power  to  influence  or  overawe 
the  deliberations  of  Congress,  and  of  there  erecting  per- 
manent buildings  for  national  purposes.  The  District  of 
Columbia  had  been  selected  and  ceded  for  that  purpose, 
and  Major  L’Enfant,  a French  officer  of  engineers,  who 
had  served  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution,  was  chosen  to 
survey  the  ground,  and  plan  the  future  city  of  Washington. 
At  the  same  time,  an  English  gentleman,  Dr.  Thornton, 
assisted  by  a Russian  officer  of  engineers,  and  the  Vitru- 
vius Britannicus,  had  made  a drawing  and  plan  for  the 
Capitol  or  house  of  government.  The  doctor  requested 
me  to  show  these  drawings  to  the  President,  and  com- 
mend them  to  his  attention,  Vhich  I did.  The  plan  was 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


173 


generally  adopted,  and  the  erection  of  the  building  was 
commenced  and  proceeded  under  several  superintendants, 

until  in , being  then  in  London,  I received  a letter 

from  the  commissioners  of  the  public  buildings,  (of  whom 
Dr.  Thornton  was  one,)  requesting  me  to  select,  contract 
with,  and  send  out  a young  architect,  qualified  to  conduct 
and  superintend  the  work.  I consulted  my  friend,  Mr. 
West,  and  Mr.  Wyatt,  (then  the  principal  architect  in 
London,)  and  they  united  in  recommending  George  Hat- 
field, a brother  of  Mrs.  Cosway,  who  had  been  a fellow 
student  with  me  in  the  Royal  Academy,  from  which 
he  had  received  all  the  academical  prizes,  and  who  had 
recently  returned  from  a three  years’  residence  in  Italy, 
where  he  had  completed  his  architectural  studies,  under 
the  patronage  and  at  the  expense  of  the  Academy.  He 
accepted  the  proffered  terms,  and  came  out ; but  his 
services  were  soon  dispensed  with,  not  because  his  knowl- 
edge was  not  eminent,  but  because  his  integrity  compelled 
him  to  say,  that  parts  of  the  original  plan  could  not  be 
executed.  Poor  Hatfield  languished  many  years  in  obscu- 
rity at  Washington,  where  however,  towards  the  close  of 
his  life,  he  had  the  opportunity  of  erecting  a noble  monu- 
ment to  himself  in  the  city  hall,  a beautiful  building,  in 
which  is  no  waste  of  space  or  materials. 

I have  always  felt  as  if  I had  been  instrumental  in 
causing  the  ruin  of  this  most  admirable  artist,  and  excel- 
lent friend ; for  if  I had  not  been  the  means  of  inducing 
him  to  leave  London,  his  connexions  there,  who  had  some 
influence  with  the  late  king,  George  IV,  might  have  pro- 
cured him  the  execution  of  those  extensive  and  splendid 
works,  which  were  committed  to  Mr.  Nash. 


174 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Age,  38  to  40 — 1794  to  1796 — 2 years. 

Negotiation  of  Mr.  Jay — Analysis  of  the  difficulties  attending  that  nego- 
tiation— Treaty  signed  19th  of  November,  1794,  and  copies  sent  to 
the  United  States  for  ratification — None  however  reach  America  until 
the  rising  of  Congress  on  the  4th  of  March — The  senate  called  to 
meet  on  the Treaty  submitted  to  them,  and  at  last  ratified — Di- 

gression on  the  culture  of  silk — Admirable  conduct  and  character  of 
Gen.  Thomas  Pinckney,  minister  in  London — Opposite  conduct  of 
Mr.  Monroe  in  Paris — My  duty  as  secretary  ceased  with  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  treaty — Resolved  to  go  to  Stutgard  to  examine  the  pro- 
gress of  my  engraving  of  Bunker’s  Hill — Route  through  Paris — Mr. 
Jay  requests  me  to  commit  to  memory  (verbatim)  the  entire  treaty,  for 
the  purpose  of  repeating  it  to  Mr.  Monroe — See  Mr.  Monroe  in  Paris, 
present  Mr.  Jay’s  letter,  and  offer  the  communication — He  declines, 
as  contradicting  his  promise  to  the  French  authorities — I of  course 
withhold  my  communication,  and  thereby  incur  the  disapprobation  of 
the  French  rulers — Receive  no  order  to  quit  France — Remain  and 
purchase  paintings — Go  to  Stutgard — Return  to  Paris — Anecdote  of  an 
old  officer  at  Mulhausen — Arrive  in  London — In  the  autumn  a specu- 
lation offers  to  go  over  to  France  and  purchase  brandy — Final  and  com- 
plete disappointment — Return  to  London. 

On  the  12th  of  May,  1794,  Mr.  Jay  embarked  in  New 
York,  on  his  mission  to  Great  Britain,  amidst  the  acclama- 
tions of  his  fellow  citizens.  The  passage  across  the  Atlan- 
tic was  pleasant,  and  on  the  1st  of  June,  we  must  have 
been  near,  almost  within  hearing,  of  the  decisive  naval 
battle  which  was  fought  on  that  day,  between  the  British 
and  French  fleets;  for  on  our  arrival  at  Falmouth,  a few 
days  after,  we  found  there  a sloop  of  war  just  arrived  with 
dispatches  from  Lord  Howe.  Nothing  was  suffered  to 
transpire  relating  to  the  news  she  brought,  and  we  met 
the  note  of  triumph  at  Bath,  on  our  way  to  London. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


175 


The  reception  of  Mr.  Jay  by  the  government,  in  Lon- 
don, was  calm  and  decorous,  and  his  own  conduct  quiet 
and  conciliatory ; soon  after  the  presentation  of  his  cre- 
dentials, it  was  determined  by  the  British  administra- 
tion to  meet  the  proposed  negotiation,  and  Lord  Grenville, 
then  secretary  of  state,  was  appointed,  with  full  powers  to 
confer  and  conclude  with  Mr.  Jay. 

The  negotiation  was  difficult,  complicated,  and  intricate 
in  the  extreme ; for  not  one  cause  of  complaint  only,  but 
many,  various,  and  mutual,  were  to  be  discussed,  and 
if  possible  adjusted.  For, 

1st.  Great  Britain  had  infringed  the  treaty  of  peace 
of  1783,  by  retaining  the  military  posts  on  the  western 
frontier. 

2d.  She  had  not  given  up,  or  made  compensation  for  the 
negro  slaves,  which  had  been  carried  away  by  her  officers. 

3d.  Several  of  the  American  states  had  withheld  the 
settlement  and  payment  of  debts,  contracted  before  the 
Revolution. 

4th.  The  geography  of  the  western  frontier  was  still 
unexplored,  the  true  situation  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods, 
as  well  as  the  course  and  extent  of  the  Mississippi,  were 
unknown,  and  of  course  the  boundary  of  the  United  States 
on  that  side  was  unsettled. 

5th.  The  boundary  of  the  United  States  on  the  north- 
east was  also  unsettled,  in  consequence  of  the  imperfect 
geographical  knowledge  of  the  real  river  St.  Croix. 

6th.  Great  Britain  complained  of  damage  done  to  her 
commerce,  by  French  privateers  fitted  out  in  the  ports  of 
the  United  States. 

7th.  The  United  States  complained  of  damage  done  to 
her  commerce,  by  irregular  or  illegal  captures  on  the  ocean 
by  British  cruisers,  to  a great  extent. 


176 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


It  was  easy  to  foresee,  that  all  these  causes  of  mutual 
complaint  must  lead  to  interminable  discussion,  with  little 
hope  of  a favorable  result,  if  treated  in  the  usual  form,  by 
diplomatic  notes ; and  therefore,  at  his  first  official  meet- 
ing with  Lord  Grenville,  Mr.  Jay  proposed,  “that  they 
“ should  meet,  and  discuss  in  conversation  the  several 
“ involved  and  intricate  subjects  of  mutual  complaint, 
“ (avoiding  in  the  outset  all  written  communications,)  that 
“ they  should  continue  so  to  meet  and  converse,  until  there 
“ should  appear  a probability  of  coming  to  some  amicable 
“ mutual  understanding  ; that  then  only,  each  should  com- 
“ mit  to  paper  informally,  the  conclusions  at  which  he  might 
“ have  arrived — that  these  informal  papers  should  be  ex- 
“ changed ; that  neither  party  should  be  considered  as 
“bound  by  any  expression  contained  in  these  prelim- 
“ inary  papers ; that  both  should  be  at  perfect  liberty 
“ to  change,  or  to  retract  entirely,  whatever  upon  more 
“ deliberate  consideration,  might  appear  to  be  unadvisable ; 
“ that  in  all  this,  they  should  avoid  employing  secre- 
“ taries,  or  copyists,  in  order  to  escape  the  possibility  of 
“ public  opinion,  or  national  feeling,  coming  in  to  influence 
“ that  perfect  calmness  of  discussion,  which  alone  could 
“ lead  to  an  amicable  settlement ; both  parties  always 
“ bearing  in  mind,  that  this  was  not  a trial  of  skill  in  the 
“ science  of  diplomatic  fencing,  but  a solemn  question  of 
“ peace  or  war  between  two  people,  in  whose  veins  flowed 
“ the  blood  of  a common  ancestry,  and  on  whose  con- 
“ tinued  good  understanding  might  perhaps  depend  the 
“ future  freedom  and  happiness  of  the  human  race.” 

Lord  Grenville  being  very  much  struck  with  the  wis- 
dom of  this  novel  proposition,  without  hesitation  gave  it  his 
entire  approbation  and  assent ; and  on  this  plan  the  nego- 
tiation proceeded.  Frequent  meetings  were  held  by  the 


LITE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


177 


two  ministers,  at  which  no  other  person  was  permitted  to 
be  present ; and  the  secretaries,  Sir  James  Bland  Bur- 
gess and  myself,  had  a real  holiday  for  a month. 

At  length  the  work  approached  to  an  amicable  termin- 
ation, and  then,  secretaries  and  copyists  had  ample  occu- 
pation. The  treaty  was  signed  on  the  19  th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1794,  and  copies  were  immediately  prepared  and  sent 
by  several  ships  of  both  nations,  to  the  government  of  the 
United  States.  None  arrived,  however,  until  after  the  4th 
of  March,  on  which  day  the  session  of  Congress  closed ; 
and  when  the  senate  was  afterwards  convened  to  consider 
the  treaty,  the  opposition  made  to  its  ratification  was  vio- 
lent in  the  extreme.  It  was,  however,  ratified,  with  the 
exception  of  the  twelfth  article,  which  was  rejected,  among 
other  reasons  because  it  forbade  the  exportation  of  cotton 
from  ports  of  the  United  States.  At  the  time  of  signing 
the  treaty,  very  little  cotton,  if  any,  grown  in  the  coun- 
try, had  been  exported — the  first  exportation  took  place  in 
1796,  it  was  uncleaned  from  the  seed,  and  packed  in 
casks — and  Mr.  Jay  believed  that  the  admission,  even  of 
small  vessels,  to  the  trade  of  the  British  West  India 
islands  on  free  and  equal  terms,  would  prove  to  be  a very 
important  benefit  to  the  commerce  of  the  United  States, 
wrhile  he  was  willing  to  trust  the  enlargement  of  the  privi- 
lege to  the  wisdom  of  futurity. 

I cannot  forbear  a digression  here.  Before  the  culture 
of  cotton  had  made  any  considerable  progress  in  the 
southern  states,  silk  had  received  great  attention  in  the 
north,  and  especially  in  Connecticut,  my  native  state. 
Before  the  mission  of  Mr.  Jay,  almost  all  the  dry,  sandy, 
unproductive  soil  in  the  state,  had  been  planted  with  mul- 
berry trees,  particularly  the  vicinity  of  New  Haven,  Mans- 
field, &c.,  and  not  only  was  the  quantity  of  the  silk  pro- 

23 


178 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


duced  considerable,  but  attempts  had  been  made,  with 
some  success,  to  manufacture  silk  goods,  particularly  at 
Hartford;  so  that  in  1793,  an  agent  from  that  city  pre- 
sented himself  to  President  Washington,  at  Philadelphia, 
offering  for  sale,  specimens  of  silk  manufactured  there,  of 
so  good  a quality,  that  the  President  purchased  some 
yards,  as  did  many  other  persons,  friends  of  domestic 
industry.  I also  bought  a pattern  for  a vest  and  small 
clothes,  of  a fabric  resembling  a coarse  black  satin.  I had 
this  made  up,  took  the  clothes  with  me  when  I went  to 
London  with  Mr.  Jay,  and  there  I became  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Titford,  a considerable  silk  manufacturer  in  Spital- 
fields.  I asked  his  opinion  of  the  quality  of  this  silk,  and, 
after  examining  it  carefully,  he  pronounced  the  quality  to 
be  excellent,  although  it  was  rudely  manufactured.  He 
expressed  great  surprise,  when  told  that  the  silk  was  both 
grown  and  manufactured  in  Connecticut,  and  assured  me 
that  if  the  people  there  would  raise  silk  of  such  quality 
and  ship  it  to  London  in  its  raw  state,  as  cotton  is  now 
generally  shipped,  they  might  rely  upon  receiving  the 
highest  market  price,  for  that  there  was  none  of  a supe- 
rior quality  received  from  Italy  or  France. 

Now  mark  the  miserable  effect  of  that  auri  sacra  fames 
— that  hurry  to  become  rich — which  is  becoming  the  dis- 
grace and  the  curse  of  this  country  ! No  sooner  did  the 
northern  people  hear  of  the  sudden  wealth  acquired  at 
the  south  by  the  culture  of  cotton,  which  gives  its  result 
in  one  season,  than  silk,  and  its  mulberry  trees,  which  are 
of  slower  production,  though  not  less  certain,  were  neg- 
lected ; so  that,  at  this  time,  the  trees  have  generally  per- 
ished, and  little  silk  is  produced  in  Connecticut,  except  at 
Mansfield,  where  the  inhabitants  have  been  more  wise,  and 
now  receive  an  annual  income  of  about  $50,000  from  labor 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


179 


done  principally  by  their  children.  If  this  culture  had 
been  pursued  with  proper  industry  and  perseverance, 
silk  would  have  become,  at  this  time,  an  important  and 
productive  branch  of  national  income,  and  we  should  not 
be  seen,  at  this  hour,  relying  upon  the  labor  of  slaves  for 
almost  the  only  article  of  direct  remittance  to  Europe  ! 

I must  not  omit  to  remark  the  admirable  conduct  of 
General  Thomas  Pinckney,  then  minister  of  the  United 
States  at  the  court  of  St.  James.  The  appointment  of 
Mr.  Jay,  as  envoy  extraordinary,  might  have  been  regarded 
by  him  as  an  affront,  but  his  patriotism  took  no  offense, 
and  the  greatest  cordiality  prevailed  between  Mr.  Jay  and 
him  to  the  end  of  the  negotiation. 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Jay  in  London,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe arrived  in  Paris,  having  been  appointed  minister  of  the 
United  States  to  the  government  of  France.  He  was 
received  by  the  Convention  with  marked  distinction,  and 
in  a speech  which  he  delivered  upon  that  occasion,  he 
made  a most  unfortunate  promise  “ to  communicate  to  the 
“ authorities  of  France  all  the  information  which  he  might 
“ obtain  of  the  progress  and  character  of  the  negotiation 
“ which  was  conducting  between  Mr.  Jay  and  the  govern  - 
“ ment  of  Great  Britain and  further,  in  pursuance  of 
such  promise,  he  wrote  a letter  to  Mr.  Jay,  requesting  him 
to  keep  him  informed  of  the  progress  he  made,  for  the 
purpose  of  enabling  him  (Monroe)  to  fulfill  his  promise 
by  communicating  the  same  to  the  French  rulers.  This 
strange  proposal  met,  of  course,  the  most  decided  disappro- 
bation of  Mr.  Jay,  and  all  intercourse  on  the  subject 
ceased  until  the  treaty  was  signed,  and  copies  had  been 
dispatched  to  the  government  of  the  United  States. 

My  official  duty  having  then  ceased,  I was  anxious  to 
know  the  progress  of  the  engraving  from  my  picture  of 


180 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Bunker’s  Hill,  which  was  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Muller  at 
Stutgard  in  Wirtemberg.  I determined  to  visit  the  en- 
graver, and  to  take  the  shortest  route,  which  was  through 
Paris.  Mr.  Jay  now  requested  me  to  commit  the  treaty, 
verbatim,  to  memory  ; to  wait  on  Mr.  Monroe,  and  deliver 
to  him  a letter  from  Mr.  Jay,  in  which  it  would  be  stated, 
that  I was  authorized  to  repeat  to  him  the  treaty,  on  con- 
dition that  he  would  first  promise  me  that  he  would  not 
make  any  communication  of  the  same  to  any  person  what- 
ever, especially  not  to  the  French  government. 

I waited  on  Mr.  Monroe  as  soon  as  I reached  Paris, 
delivered  the  letter  of  Mr.  Jay,  and  declared  my  readiness 
to  proceed  to  the  rehearsal  of  the  treaty  so  soon  as  the 
condition  proposed  in  the  letter  should  be  complied  with. 
After  a moment’s  hesitation,  Mr.  Monroe  declined  making 
the  promise  required,  as  involving  a breach  of  his  ante- 
cedent engagement  to  the  Convention.  The  communica- 
tion was  therefore  withheld  on  my  part,  and  I became 
obnoxious  to  the  French  rulers. 

Very  soon  after,  I received  an  informal  notice  from  Mr. 
Monroe,  through  Mr.  B.  Hichborn  of  Boston,  that  he  had 
reason  to  know,  from  hints  which  he  had  received  from 
a member  of  the  French  government,  that  my  remaining 
in  Paris  gave  great  dissatisfaction,  and  advising  me  to 
leave  the  country  without  delay.  I replied,  that  I had  not 
acquired  the  habit  of  paying  attention  to  hints,  but  had 
been  taught  to  obey  commands  ; that  I would  ask  leave 
to  take  breakfast  with  the  minister  the  next  morning.  I 
did  so — went  into  a long  explanation,  which  ended  with 
the  assurance,  that  my  visit  to  France  was  purely  on  indi- 
vidual, personal  and  pacific  business  ; that  I was  an  artist 
by  profession,  and  had  been  made  a politician  by  acci- 
dent ; that  I could  be  governed  in  my  conduct  by  no 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


181 


hints,  from  whatever  quarter,  but  would  obey  the  orders 
of  the  French  authorities  the  moment  they  should  be 
officially  signified  to  me  ; that  therefore  I would,  without 
delay,  prepare  for  pursuing  my  journey  to  Stutgard,  and, 
in  the  mean  time,  I begged  leave  to  claim  from  him  the 
protection  of  the  minister  of  the  United  States. 

I,  of  course,  made  my  preparations,  but  receiving  no 
order  to  quit  the  country,  and  having  learned,  that  in  the 
confusion  of  the  time,  and  the  consequent  ruin  of  ancient 
and  opulent  families,  paintings  by  the  old  masters  might 
be  advantageously  purchased,  I entered  upon  that  specu- 
lation, with  the  advice  of  my  friend,  M.  Le  Brun,  the 
most  experienced  judge  on  that  subject  then  in  Europe. 
With  his  advice  and  assistance  I purchased  more  than 
an  hundred  valuable  paintings,  and  leaving  them  in  his 
hands  to  be  packed  for  removal,  I proceeded  to  Stutgard, 
through  Basle  in  Switzerland,  where,  having  examined 
the  work  of  Mr.  Muller  with  great  satisfaction,  I com- 
menced my  return  to  Paris,  by  way  of  Schaffhausen, 
Landshut,  Basle,  &lc . 

At  Basle  I was  advised,  on  account  of  the  ruined  state 
of  the  other  road,  to  take  that  which  led  down  the  banks 
of  the  Rhine  for  some  distance,  and  when  I arrived  at 
Mulhausen,  near  sunset  of  the  first  day,  I found  the  village 
full  of  French  troops,  and  the  yard  and  entrance  of  the  inn 
crowded  with  officers.  To  my  demand  of  horses  for 
Schlestadt,  the  innkeeper  said  that  it  was  not  in  his  power 
to  furnish  them,  and  if  he  could,  it  would  be  useless  for 
me  to  attempt  to  proceed,  for  that,  before  I could  possibly 
reach  the  town,  the  gates  would  be  shut,  (it  is  the  first 
fortified  place  on  the  old  French  frontier,  in  that  quarter,) 
and  I should  be  under  the  necessity  of  passing  the  night 
outside  of  the  walls,  in  my  carriage.  “ Can  you,  then,  give 


“ me  a bed  ?”  “ I am  afraid  that  too  will  be  impossible — 

“ hostilities  are  about  to  be  renewed ; the  head-quarters 
“ of  the  commanding  general  are  established  at  my  house, 
“ and  it  is  entirely  occupied  by  him  and  his  suite  ; but 
“ come  with  me,  and  I will  do  as  well  as  I can.”  I fol- 
lowed, through  a crowd  of  young  officers,  and  at  the  door 
met  the  old  general  coming  out.  The  veteran  looked  at 
me  keenly,  and  asked  bluntly,  “ Who  are  you  ? — an  En- 
“ glishman  ?”  “ No,  general,  I am  an  American,  of  the 

“ United  States.”  “ Ah  ! do  you  know  Connecticut  ?” 
“Yes,  sir,  it  is  my  native  state.”  “You  know  then  the 
“good  Governor  Trumbull.”  “Yes,  general,  he  is  my 
“ father.”  “ Oh  ! mon  Dieu  ! que  je  snis  charmze  ; I am 
“ delighted  to  see  a son  of  Governor  Trumbull ; entrez, 
“ entrez ; you  shall  have  supper,  bed,  every  thing  in  the 
“ house.”  I soon  learned  that  the  old  man  had  been  in 
America,  an  officer  in  the  legion  of  the  Duke  de  Lauzun, 
who  had  been  quartered  in  my  native  village,  during  the 
winter  which  I passed  in  prison  in  London,  and  had  heard 
me  much  spoken  of  there.  Of  course,  I found  myself  in 
excellent  quarters.  The  old  general  kept  me  up  almost 
all  night,  inquiring  of  every  body  and  every  thing  in 
America,  especially  of  the  people  in  Lebanon,  and  above 
all,  the  family  of  Huntington,  with  whom  he  had  been 
quartered.  In  the  course  of  the  evening,  some  official 
paper  was  brought  to  him,  for  his  signature,  and  observing 
that  he  wrote  with  his  left  hand,  I glanced  my  eye  at  his 
right,  and  saw  that  it  was  disabled,  useless.  I remarked 
upon  this.  “Yes,”  said  he,  “last  year,  in  Belgium,  the 
“ Austrians  cut  me  to  pieces,  and  left  me  for  dead,  but  I 
“recovered,  and  finding  my  right  hand  ruined,  I have 
“ learned  to  use  my  left,  and  I can  write  and  fence  with 
“it  tolerably.”  “But,  sir,”  said  I,  “why  did  not  you 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


183 


“ retire  from  service  V 9 “ Retire  !”  exclaimed  he,  “ ha ! — 

“ I was  born  in  a camp,  have  passed  all  my  life  in  the 
“ service,  and  will  die  in  a camp,  or  on  the  field.”  This 
is  a faithful  picture  of  the  military  enthusiasm  of  the  time, 
1795. 

Next  day  I proceeded  on  my  journey  to  Paris.  On 
my  arrival  there,  heard  no  more  of  being  ordered  to  quit 
the  country ; remained  a few  days,  completed  my  business 
of  pictures, — sent  them  on  to  Guernsey,  and  followed  at 
my  leisure. 

The  island  of  Guernsey  is  beautiful  and  fertile,  and  has 
a very  extraordinary  harbor — at  high  tide,  perfectly  safe, 
with  a good  depth  of  water — at  low,  entirely  dry,  with 
a bottom  of  solid  rock ; the  entrance  almost  perfect  by 
nature,  and  the  defect  supplied  by  a fine  pier.  The  road- 
stead is  surrounded  by  reefs  of  rock,  with  deep  water, 
and  perfect  safety  from  almost  all  winds,  but  exposed  to 
others.  I remained  here  a few  days,  saw  my  paintings 
safe,  gave  orders  to  ship  them  for  London,  and  make 
insurance.  I then  crossed  the  channel  to  Weymouth,  and 
went  up  to  London,  where  the  pictures  soon  followed  me, 
and  arrived  in  safety. 

The  London  docks  were  not  then  built,  and  goods 
were  generally  landed  by  the  help  of  lighters.  Orders 
were  very  thoughtlessly  given  by  the  broker,  to  get  my  pic- 
tures to  the  custom-house  as  soon  as  possible ; and  they 
were  obeyed  to  the  letter,  without  my  reflecting  that  the 
next  day  was  the  12th  of  August,  the  birth-day  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  and  of  course  a holiday  at  all  public  offices.  The 
lighter-men  brought  my  cases  safely  to  the  custom-house 
quay,  when  finding  no  one  to  receive  them,  the  custom- 
house closed,  no  business  doing,  and  all  the  /porters, 
watermen,  & c.  making  merry,  they  thought  they  might 


184 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


as  well  join.  It  was  near  low  water,  so  they  made  the 
lighter  fast  with  a chain  to  one  of  the  posts,  for  perfect 
security,  and  then  went  their  way  for  a frolic.  In  the 
evening,  when  the  tide  came  in,  the  bow  of  the  boat  being 
held  down  by  the  chain,  she  gradually  filled  with  water, 
and  my  cases  being  light,  floated  out.  The  watchmen  on 
the  wharves,  who  had  paid  some  attention  to  their  duty, 
observed  cases  floating  in  the  river,  gave  the  alarm,  and  the 
cases  were  all  saved,  and  got  on  to  the  quay.  The  next 
morning  I went  to  the  custom-house,  to  have  my  cases 
opened,  the  pictures  examined,  and  duties  settled.  To 
my  astonishment,  I found  the  cases  already  on  the  quay, 
dripping  with  water,  and  upon  opening  them,  the  paint- 
ings all  water  soaked,  (for  the  cases  were  by  no  means 
water-tight,)  and  apparently  all  irretrievably  damaged. 
My  first  impression  was,  to  abandon  the  whole  to  the 
underwriters.  With  this  view,  I first  consulted  mercantile 
friends,  and  finally  obtained  the  opinion  of  the  celebrated 
Mr.  Erskine ; his  answer  was,  that  the  underwriters  were 
not  holden.  In  the  mean  time,  the  paintings  had  all  been 
removed  by  permission,  to  the  extensive  rooms  of  my 
friend,  Mr.  West,  and  there  I passed  the  remainder  of 
the  season  in  repairing,  as  well  as  I could,  the  damage 
they  had  sustained. 

In  the  following  autumn,  another  speculation  was  con- 
templated by  three  considerable  mercantile  houses  in 
London,  founded  on  apparently  the  soundest  calculations. 
The  crops  of  corn  had  fallen  short  to  such  a degree,  that 
the  distillation  of  spirits  from  corn  was  prohibited  in  all  the 
British  dominions.  The  crops  had  also  failed  in  the  West 
India  islands,  so  that  very  little  rum  could  be  expected ; 
the  stock  on  hand  in  the  market  was  trifling,  yet  the  navy 
and  army  must  have  their  rations  of  liquor.  Brandy,  in 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


185 


the  mean  time,  was  plenty  in  France,  but  could  be  obtained 
only  by  the  aid  of  a neutral,  as  not  every  one  could  be 
entrusted  with  such  an  important  and  extensive  concern. 
I was  offered  a fourth  part  of  the  expected  profits,  on  con- 
dition that  I should  go  to  France,  purchase  the  brandy,  ship 
it  in  my  own  name,  the  merchant  partners  agreeing  to  fur- 
nish the  necessary  funds,  and  bear  all  loss.  The  temptation 
was  irresistible  ; I undertook  the  business,  and  immedi- 
ately went  over  to  Rochefort,  where  I soon  found  myself  in- 
volved in  all  the  intricacies  of  a great  commercial  operation. 
As  assignats  were  expiring,  it  became  necessary  to  draw 
bills  of  exchange  to  a large  amount,  on  foreign  neutral 
houses ; to  negotiate  those  bills  for  cash  ( metcillique ) in 
Paris ; to  transport  this  coin  across  La  Vendee,  then  in  the 
most  horrible  state  of  civil  war ; to  purchase  brandy  ; to  see 
it  prepared  (cut)  for  the  particular  market ; to  see  it  ship- 
ped, &c. ; and  all  this  was  done  advantageously,  yet  our 
speculation  failed.  For,  in  the  first  place,  a severe  loss,  to 
the  extent  of  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  pounds,  was  incur- 
red by  the  well  intended  temerity  of  a bold  Irish  captain, 
commanding  one  of  my  ships,  loaded  with  more  than  four 
hundred  and  twenty -nine  pipes  of  Cogniac  brandy,  of  very 
superior  quality.  He  arrived  in  Guernsey  Roads  one  fine 
summer  afternoon,  came  to  anchor,  and,  according  to 
orders,  sent  letters  on  shore  to  my  correspondent  and  the 
harbor  master,  who  both  happened  to  be  in  the  country. 
The  captain  looked  at  the  entrance  of  the  port,  and  at  the 
sky;  the  wind  was  fair,  the  sea  was  smooth,  the  tide 
favorable,  and  nothing  visible  to  prevent  his  running  the 
ship  safely  into  the  harbor.  There  was  some  risk  in  lying 
all  night  in  the  open  road — the  wind  might  change — but 
he  could  see  no  danger  or  difficulty  in  going  in.  He 
therefore  hoisted  his  anchor,  set  his  sails,  ran  the  ship  in, 

24 


186 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


with  perfect  security,  and  in  the  most  gallant  style.  He 
then  made  her  fast  to  another  large  ship,  and  thought  that 
all  was  well.  But  he  did  not  know  that  the  ebb-tide  left 
the  harbor  absolutely  dry,  nor  that  he  had  moored  his  ship 
over  a part  of  the  bottom  where  the  rock  sloped  outward, 
like  the  bottom  of  a basin.  In  the  night,  with  the  turn  of 
the  tide,  the  ship  touched  the  rock ; as  it  continued  to 
ebb  she  heeled  outward,  and  at  length  fell  over  on  her 
side,  with  a heavy  crash,  which  stove  every  cask  of 
brandy,  and  the  ship  herself,  producing  thus  a total  loss 
of  ship  and  cargo,  for  which  the  underwriters  could  not 
be  held  responsible,  inasmuch  as  the  policy  was  violated 
by  having  gone  into  port  without  a pilot,  and  as  the 
ship  was  considered  by  the  captain,  to  have  been  safely 
moored. 

An  additional  evil,  and  definitely  ruinous,  was  that  my 
partners  in  the  concern,  dazzled  by  the  probability  of 
splendid  success,  pushed  the  purchases  too  far,  so  that 
when  the  article  began  to  arrive  in  the  port  of  London, 
they  found  it  difficult  to  meet  the  payment  of  the  duties, 
which  amounted  to  nearly  as  much  as  the  first  cost,  (and 
I had  by  their  instructions  expended  in  my  purchase 
nearly  £80,000,  or  $400,000  cash.)  The  moment  it  was 
discovered  that  they  were  pressed  for  money,  purchasers 
held  back,  when  they  were  at  length  under  the  necessity 
of  selling  at  a reduced  price ; and  they  were  happy  at  last 
to  wind  up  the  account  without  much  loss,  instead  of 
having  made  a splendid  profit.  By  the  agreement,  I was 
not  answerable  for  any  loss,  but  I had  gained  nothing, 
and  had  thrown  away  eight  months  of  precious  time,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  risk  I had  run. 

Having  closed  all  my  accounts  in  France,  I returned  to 
London,  by  the  way  of  Guernsey,  and  arrived  early  in 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


187 


August,  1796,  having  in  little  more  than  two  years  passed 
through  the  several  varieties  of  a political  secretary,  a pic- 
ture dealer,  and  a brandy  merchant.  A new  scene  now 
opened,  which  must  be  the  subject  of  another  chapter. 


v 


188 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Age,  40  to  41 — 1796  to  1797 — 1 year. 

On  arrival  in  London,  find  a commission  and  instructions  to  act  as  agent 
for  the  relief  of  American  seamen,  and  immediately  afterwards  notice, 
from  the  commissioners  appointed  by  the  two  nations  to  carry  into  exe- 
cution the  seventh  article  of  the  late  treaty,  that  they  had  appointed 
me  the  fifth  commissioner — Letters  declining  the  first,  and  accepting 
the  latter  very  important  situation — Enter  upon  its  duties — Preliminary 
obstacle  suggested — Referred  to  the  decision  of  the  lord  chancellor  at 
my  suggestion — Decided  by  him  in  favor  of  the  American  construc- 
tion— By  this  I am  relieved  from  unpleasant  responsibility — Commis- 
sion proceeds — In  July,  1797,  the  great  question  of  general  blockade 
came  up — Left  to  my  decision. 

Ox  my  arrival  in  London,  early  in  August,  I received 
from  Mr.  Pickering,  then  secretary  of  state  of  the  United 
States,  through  Mr.  King,  a commission  and  instructions, 
appointing  me  agent  for  the  relief  and  recovery  of  Amer- 
ican seamen  impressed  by  Great  Britain ; and  before  I had 
an  opportunity  of  returning  an  answer,  I received  notice 
from  the  commissioners  who  had  been  appointed  by  the 
two  nations  to  carry  into  execution  the  seventh  article 
of  the  late  treaty,  that  they  had  appointed  me  the  fifth 
commissioner. 

The  vast  importance  of  the  latter  situation  left  no  room 
for  hesitation  as  to  accepting  it,  and  the  probable  difficul- 
ties of  this  duty,  forbade  the  attempt  to  execute  those  of 
the  other  also,  which,  although  inferior,  were  still  too 
important  to  be  exposed  to  any  risk  of  neglect.  I there- 
fore wrote  the  following  answers,  which  are  copied  from 
my  letter-book  of  the  time. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


189 


London,  August  26th,  1796. 

To  John  Nickoll,  John  Anstey,  Christopher  Gore,  and  Wm. 

Pinckney,  Esqrs. 

Gentlemen — I have  received  your  note  of  yesterday’s 
date,  in  which  you  inform  me,  that,  “pursuant  to  the 
“ authority  vested  in  you  by  the  treaty  of  amity,  commerce 
“ and  navigation,  between  his  Britannic  Majesty  and  the 
“ United  States  of  America,  you  have  appointed  me  fifth 
“ commissioner  for  the  execution  of  the  seventh  article  of 
“ said  treaty.” 

Having  determined  to  return  to  America  in  a few  weeks, 
and  having  taken  my  arrangements  in  part  for  that  pur- 
pose, I was  not  prepared  to  give  you  an  immediate  answer 
to  a proposition  as  unexpected  as  it  is  honorable  ; but  the 
reflection,  that  the  duty  which  I owe  to  my  country,  and 
the  satisfaction  which  I shall  have  in  cooperating  with  you, 
gentlemen,  (by  removing  an  unfortunate  ground  of  dis- 
content,) to  restore  and  confirm  the  harmony  and  good 
understanding  which  are  equally  the  interest  of  the  two 
nations,  induces  me  to  accept  the  honor  which  you  have 
been  pleased  to  confer  upon  me, — in  the  hope,  however, 
that  it  may  be  in  our  power  to  fulfil  the  intentions  of  the 
treaty  by  an  accomplishment  of  our  duty  so  prompt,  as 
shall  not  too  seriously  interfere  with  my  wish  for  an  early 
return  to  my  country. 

I shall  have  the  honor  to  meet  you  at  nine  o’clock,  as 
you  request,  at  the  house  of  Doctor  Nickoll,  in  Lincoln’s 
Inn  Fields.  I am,  gentlemen,  &c.  &c. 

John  Trumbull. 


190 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


London,  August  27th,  1796. 

To  the  Hon.  Timothy  Pickering,  Esq.,  secretary  of  state  of  the 
United  States  of  America. 

Sir — On  my  arrival  here  from  the  continent,  a few 
days  ago,  I had  the  honor  to  receive  from  Mr.  King,  your 
letter  of  the  9th  of  June,  enclosing  a commission  from  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  appointing  me  to  act  in 
this  country,  as  agent  for  the  relief  of  American  seamen  ; 
accompanied  with  a copy  of  the  law  instituting  that  office, 
and  your  instructions  relative  to  the  manner  of  its  exe- 
cution. 

During  the  time  I was  with  Mr.  Jay,  my  private  affairs 
had  been  very  much  neglected;  they  now  require  my 
attention.  I saw  under  this  commission  no  opportunity 
to  render  any  very  essential  service  to  our  countrymen, 
nor  any  obligation  to  attempt  it,  from  a probability  that 
the  humane  and  interesting  object  of  the  appointment 
could  be  better  attained  by  my  agency,  than  by  that  of 
many  of  our  countrymen  to  whom  it  might  be  less  incon- 
venient ; and,  for  these  reasons,  as  well  as  from  an  aversion 
to  public  employments,  I had  determined  to  beg  you  to 
return  my  thanks  to  the  President,  for  the  honor  done 
me  by  this  mark  of  his  remembrance,  and  to  request  that 
another  person  might  be  named.  An  unexpected  and 
more  weighty  reason  is  now  added,  which  at  once  renders 
it  unfit  that  I should  hold  this  office,  or  persist  in  the 
resolution  which  I had  formed  to  avoid  public  life. 

Mr.  Gore  will  have  informed  you  of  the  manner  adopted 
for  naming  the  fifth  commissioner,  under  the  seventh  arti- 
cle of  the  late  treaty,  and  that  the  lot  has  fallen  upon  me. 
I am  to  add,  that  I have  thought  it  to  be  my  duty  to 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


191 


accept  the  employment  so  singularly  conferred,  and  have, 
with  the  other  commissioners,  taken  the  oath  prescribed 
by  the  treaty. 

In  doing  this,  I feel  that  I have  taken  upon  myself  a 
situation  of  much  responsibility,  and  which,  on  some  occa- 
sions, may  prove  peculiarly  delicate ; being  placed  in  it 
in  some  sense,  by  the  joint  choice  of  the  two  nations,  the 
strongest  obligation  is  imposed  upon  me  to  obtain  accu- 
rate information  of  the  law  of  nations,  and  scrupulously 
to  regard  that  and  the  great  principles  of  justice  and 
equity  in  the  discharge  of  this  trust.  A sincere  desire 
that  justice  may  be  done  speedily,  impartially,  and  in  the 
most  conciliatory  manner,  will  govern  my  conduct,  and  if 
on  any  occasion  I should  be  thought  by  either  party  to 
err,  I must  rely  upon  the  candor  of  both  to  believe  that 
my  errors  will  be  those  of  judgment  only,  from  which 
none  of  us  are  free.  I have  the  honor  to  be,  Ac. 

John  Trumbull. 

[extract.] 

London,  Sept.  7th,  1796. 

To  John  Jay,  Esq.,  Ac.  Ac. 

“ You  will  know  that  I have  most  unexpectedly  become 
“ once  more  an  agent  in  the  business  of  the  treaty,  having 
“ been,  by  the  concurrence  of  chance  and  destiny,  named 
“ the  fifth  commissioner,  under  the  seventh  article.  I could 
“ hardly  have  been  called  to  a situation  more  unlooked  for 
“ than  this.  I feel  its  delicacy  and  importance,  and  the 
“ imperfect  preparation  for  its  duties  which  I derive  from 
“ the  general  nature  of  my  pursuits,  for  many  years  past. 
“ But  the  general  principles  of  justice  and  equity,  I hope, 
“ are  sufficiently  established  in  my  mind,  to  prevent  the 


192 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ danger  of  any  gross  errors ; and  the  law  of  nations,  so 
“ far  as  it  relates  to  this  subject,  is  neither  so  voluminous, 
“ nor  so  intricate,  but  that  the  degree  of  attention  which  I 
“ have  sometimes  given  to  other  subjects,  applied  to  this, 
“ will  I trust,  render  me  sufficiently  master  of  it.  It  will, 
“ however,  be  almost  impossible  so  to  conduct,  as  not  to 
“ offend  alternately,  some  of  both  parties ; and  I must 
“ trust  to  the  candor  of  the  dispassionate,  to  do  me  justice 
“ in  believing,  that  if  I should  be  thought  to  err,  my  errors 
“ will  at  worst  be  those  of  judgment  only,  from  which  the 
“ best  and  the  wisest  can  claim  no  exemption.” 

John  Trumbull. 


[extract.] 

London,  Sept.  7th,  1796. 

To  Oliver  Wolcott,  Esq.,  secretary  of  the  treasury,  United 

States. 

“You  will  know,  from  the  secretary  of  state’s  office, 
“ that  I am  placed  by  the  singular  concurrence  of  choice 
“ and  destiny,  in  a state  of  the  most  absolute  neutrality. 
“ I shall  sometimes  find  it  difficult  perhaps  to  distinguish 
“ the  precise  point  of  justice  and  equity,  and  my  endeavors 
“ to  ascertain  it,  may  possibly  give  offense  alternately  to 
“ both  the  interested  parties  ; but , as  I neither  sought  this 
“ situation , nor  shall  ever  seek  any  other  of  public  respon- 
“ sibility,  it  may  at  least  be  relied  upon  by  both,  that  what 
“ I do  will  be  the  true  result  of  my  best  knowledge  and 
“judgment,  imperfect  doubtless,  but  at  least  honest  in 
“ intention.”  John  Trumbull. 

The  commissioners  having  taken  the  oath  dictated  by 
the  treaty,  proceeded  immediately  to  hold  meetings,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  the  necessary  arrangements  for 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


193 


entering  upon  their  important  duties ; such  as  naming  a 
secretary  and  other  necessary  officers,  establishing  an 
office,  rules  of  business,  &c.  In  the  course  of  these  pre- 
liminary discussions,  it  soon  became  manifest  that  the 
difficulties  which  I had  apprehended  in  my  situation  of 
fifth  commissioner,  were  by  no  means  imaginary  or  exag- 
gerated ; it  was  easy  to  foresee,  that  the  commissioners  of 
each  nation  were  likely  to  regard  the  conduct  of  their  own 
government  as  right  and  just,  and  that  they  were  bound 
to  support  and  defend  its  acts  and  measures,  and  that 
therefore,  the  decision  of  almost  every  important  question 
must  devolve  upon  the  fifth  commissioner. 

Upon  the  very  threshhold  of  business,  we  were  met  by 
a question,  which  bid  fair  to  occasion  the  most  serious 
disagreement.  “ What  are  the  cases  which  are  to  be 
“ entertained  and  examined  by  this  board  V9 

The  treaty  requires  that  the  complainant  shall  state, 
“ that  he  has  suffered  loss  and  damage,  for  which  he  can- 
“ not  obtain  just  and  adequate  compensation,  in  the  regu- 
lar course  of  judicial  proceedings.  He  cannot  assert 
“ this  until  he  shall  have  gone  through  the  entire  course  of 
“ regular  judicial  proceedings.  The  last  step  of  regular 
“judical  proceeding  in  England,  is  the  ultimate  decision  of 
“ the  high  court  of  appeal,  that  is  to  say,  of  the  king  in 
“ council.  Does  any  one  suppose  that  this  board  has 
“ power  to  examine,  revise,  and  reverse  the  decisions  of 
“ this  supreme  tribunal  V9  asked  the  British  members  of 
the  board.  “ Certainly,”  replied  the  American  members, 
“ if  it  should  appear  to  us,  that  in  any  case  the  high  court 
“ of  appeal  had  decided,  rather  in  conformity  with  the  laics 
“ and  usages  of  England , than  in  consonance  with  the  laic 
“ of  nations , and  the  principles  of  equity  and  justice,  it  will 
“ become  our  duty,  as  it  is  clearly  within  our  power,  to 

25 


194 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ examine  the  case,  and  to  make  such  decision  as  shall  be 
“ in  conformity  with  the  law  of  nations,  and  the  principles 
“ of  justice  and  equity.  If  this  be  not  the  true  construc- 
“ tion  of  our  powers,  it  does  appear  to  us  that  this  article 
“ of  the  treaty  is  little  better  than  a nullity.” 

Such  was  the  outline  of  the  agreement,  placing  the  com- 
mission in  a state  of  helpless  inactivity,  between  the  two 
horns  of  a dilemma.  It  remained  for  me  to  decide. 

My  opinion  was  decidedly  with  the  American  members. 
But  I saw  distinctly,  that  in  the  eyes  of  the  British  gen- 
tlemen, the  question  was  of  the  deepest  importance,  and 
that  a decision  contradictory  to  their  reverential  estimate 
of  the  sanctity  of  the  high  court  of  appeal,  would  be  sub- 
mitted to  by  them  with  extreme  reluctance,  if  it  did  not 
produce  a remonstrance  against  our  abuse  of  authority — 
a refusal  to  proceed  in  the  business — ultimately  a dis- 
solution of  the  commission  ; — and  thus,  a renewal  of  angry 
discussion  between  the  two  nations.  I therefore  took  time 
to  consider,  and  finally  suggested,  that  the  question  should 
be  submitted  to  the  lord  chancellor  (Loughborough)  for 
his  decision.  He  had  taken  a deep  interest  in  the  nego- 
tiations of  the  treaty,  and  undoubtedly,  must  know  the 
intentions  of  the  parties.  The  British  members  of  the 
commission  readily  acceded  to  this  proposal ; an  audience 
was  asked  of  the  lord  chancellor  and  obtained,  at  which 
all  the  members  of  the  board  were  present.  The  ques- 
tion was  stated  by  the  senior  British  commissioner,  on 
which  the  board  requested  his  lordship’s  opinion,  and  the 
answer  was  immediate  and  frank. 

“ The  construction  of  the  American  gentlemen  is  cor- 
“ rect.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  high  contracting  parties 
“ to  the  treaty,  to  clothe  this  commission  with  power  para- 
“ mount  to  all  the  maritime  courts  of  both  nations — a 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


195 


“ power  to  review,  and  (if  in  their  opinion  it  should 
“ appear  just)  to  reverse  the  decisions  of  any  or  of  all  the 
“ maritime  courts  of  both.  Gentlemen,  you  are  invested 
“ with  august  and  solemn  authority  ; I trust  that  you  will 
“ use  it  wisely.” 

This  decision  of  the  chancellor  terminated  the  difficulty, 
relieved  me  from  a situation  of  extreme  delicacy,  and  the 
board  immediately  proceeded  in  its  duties. 

In  July,  1797,  I found  myself  under  the  necessity  of 
deciding  the  very  important  question  of  general  blockade, 
and  the  detention  of  neutral  vessels,  laden  in  part  or  en- 
tirely with  provisions,  bound  from  neutral  to  hostile  ports. 
From  the  beginning,  I had  made  it  a rule  to  give  my 
opinion  in  writing  in  all  cases  where  questions  were  to  be 
decided  by  my  voice.  This  question  was  highly  impor- 
tant, and  I endeavored  to  study  it  carefully.  The  elab- 
orate opinion  which  I gave,  will  form  the  following  chapter. 


196 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Opinion  given  in  the  case  of  the  Neptune,  Jeffries  master — Question  of 
the  right  of  blockade,  and  to  prevent  the  introduction  of  provisions. 

This  was  an  American  vessel,  bound  to  a port  in 
France,  with  a cargo  consisting  of  rice,  tobacco,  indigo, 
&,c.,  American  property,  captured  in  June,  1795,  by  one 
of  his  Britannic  Majesty’s  frigates,  acting  under  the  gen- 
eral order  of  April,  1795,  which  directed  the  bringing 
into  British  ports  of  all  neutral  vessels  laden  in  whole  or  in 
part  with  provisions,  and  bound  to  ports  of  the  enemies 
of  Great  Britain. 

Proceedings  were  had,  in  this  case,  in  the  form  which 
was  adopted  on  that  occasion,  and  which  commenced  with 
an  order  of  the  judge  of  the  high  court  of  admiralty,  that 
the  cargo  should  be  sold  to  his  majesty’s  government,  and 
resulted  in  a decree  of  the  same  court,  that  both  vessel 
and  cargo  belonged  as  claimed  to  neutrals, — an  order  of 
the  court  to  restore  the  vessel,  with  freight,  demurrage, 
and  expenses — costs,  both  of  captor  and  claimant,  to  be 
paid  by  his  majesty’s  government,  and  the  value  of  the 
cargo  to  be  paid  by  the  same  to  the  neutral  owner. 

The  vessel  was,  of  course,  restored  as  ordered,  and  the 
value  of  the  cargo  ascertained  in  the  manner  following,  viz. 
The  registrar  and  merchants  proceeded,  under  an  order 
of  the  court,  to  make  their  report  under  the  usual  form, 
in  which  they  stated  the  invoice-price,  and  ten  per  cent, 
thereon  as  the  value  of  the  cargo,  to  be  paid  by  his 
majesty’s  government  to  the  neutral  owners.  Against 
this  ex  parte  mode  of  sale,  as  well  as  against  the  measure 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


197 


of  value,  the  claimant,  by  his  agent,  remonstrated  to  the 
registrar  and  merchants,  while  making  up  their  report,  as 
inadequate  and  unjust,  inasmuch  as  the  sum  resulting  from 
this  mode  of  estimation  was  much  below  wdiat  would  be 
the  result  at  the  current  market-price  at  the  port  of  desti- 
nation, or  even  at  the  port  of  London ; requesting  at  the 
same  time  permission  to  sell  the  cargo  himself,  under 
bonds  that  it  should  be  sold  and  delivered  in  England. 
To  this  application  and  remonstrance  he  received  for 
answer,  from  the  registrar  and  merchants,  “ that,  although 
“his  case  was  doubtless  a hard  one,  yet,  as  they  acted  by 
“ the  express  order  of  government,  they  could  give  no 
“ more,  being  bound  by  instructions  officially  received,  to 
“ give,  in  all  such  cases,  ten  per  cent,  on  the  invoice  price, 
“ as  a fair  mercantile  profit.”  The  agent  for  the  claimant, 
however,  not  satisfied  wTith  this  answer,  pursued  his  inqui- 
ries further,  until  he  received  from  a high  official  character 
(as  stated  to  us  in  his  affidavit.)  the  same  answer,  and  an 
absolute  refusal  of  his  request  for  permission  to  sell  the 
property  himself,  under  bonds  that  it  should  be  sold  in 
England.  Concluding  then,  as  it  wras  natural  for  one  of 
his  majesty’s  subjects  to  do,  that  information  so  obtained 
was  true  and  correct,  and  perceiving  it  to  be  useless  and 
presumptuous  for  an  individual  to  struggle  further  against 
an  order  of  his  majesty’s  government,  he  abandoned  any 
further  attempt  to  obtain  a remedy  in  the  ordinary  course 
of  judicial  proceedings,  and  being  pressed  by  the  necessity 
of  meeting  bills  which  had  been  drawn  in  America,  on  the 
expected  proceeds  of  this  cargo,  and  wffiich  otherwise 
must  have  gone  back,  subject  to  such  heavy  damages  as 
might  prove  ruinous  to  his  correspondent  there — but  pro- 
testing at  the  same  time  against  the  injustice  of  the  mode 
of  sale,  and  the  inadequacy  of  the  sum  ordered  to  be 


198 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


paid,  according  to  the  report  of  the  registrar  and  mer- 
chants— he  received  the  same,  and  now  comes  before  this 
board,  claiming  such  further  sum  as  shall  appear  to  the 
board  a full  and  adequate  compensation  for  the  loss  and 
damage  which  he  has  sustained. 

A memorial,  in  the  usual  form,  has  been  preferred  to 
the  board  in  this  case,  accompanied  by  sundry  papers. 
Copies  of  this  memorial,  and  of  these  papers,  have  been 
submitted  to  the  agency  of  his  Britannic  majesty,  in  the 
usual  manner,  and  the  usual  time  has  been  allowed  to  him 
to  lay  before  the  board  his  objections  in  writing  to  the 
prayer  of  the  memorial.  Those  objections  have  been 
received,  and  without  offering  any  reasons  exclusively 
applicable  to  this  particular  case,  or  arising  out  of  any 
peculiar  circumstances  attending  it,  we  find  them  to  be 
general  against  the  powers  of  the  commissioners  as  ex- 
tending to  cases  of  this  description  ; and  they  appear  to 
rest,  for  much  of  their  force,  on  the  construction  of  the 
eighteeenth  article  of  the  existing  treaty  between  Great 
Britain  and  America.  On  the  correctness  of  this  general 
objection,  a difference  of  opinion  exists  at  the  board, 
which  leaves  the  decision  of  the  question  to  me. 

A just  sense  of  the  very  high  responsibility  which 
devolves  upon  me,  under  such  circumstances,  induced  me 
to  form  an  early  determination  to  give  my  opinion  in  wri- 
ting on  all  such  occasions — and  that  determination  is 
strengthened  by  the  painful  and  unfortunate  frequency 
with  which  such  occasions  have  hitherto  recurred — in 
order  that,  in  discharging  this  arduous  and  unpleasant 
part  of  my  duty,  I might  impartially  give  their  just  weight 
to  the  arguments  of  each  of  the  commissioners,  (all  of 
whom,  from  the  nature  of  their  education  and  studies, 
must,  unquestionably,  possess  a degree  of  knowledge  far 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


199 


superior  to  what  I can  pretend  to  on  subjects  of  this 
nature.)  It  was  further  my  wish  to  have  been  indulged, 
on  all  such  occasions,  with  the  sight  of  the  written  opin- 
ion of  each  member  of  the  board  previous  to  giving  my 
own.  I should  then  have  seen  the  precise  and  meditated 
arguments  of  learned  men  reduced  to  point,  and  divested 
of  that  looseness  and  inaccuracy  of  expression  which  too 
generally  accompany  verbal  discussions ; and  those  argu- 
ments thus  correctly  and  visibly  before  me,  would  neither 
have  been  subject  to  be  weakened  by  the  incorrectness 
of  memory,  nor  to  be  distorted  by  any  misunderstanding 
arising  from  the  rapidity  of  conversation.  I have  request- 
ed this  indulgence  in  the  present  case ; and  if  it  should 
seem  from  my  decision,  that  I have  been  less  influenced 
by  any  of  the  arguments  which  I have  heard,  than  those 
gentlemen  who  have  made  use  of  them  may  feel  that 
they  deserved,  I hope  to  be  forgiven. 

The  numerous  and  concurring  authorities  which  the 
gentlemen  with  whom  I agree  in  opinion,  have,  in  the 
course  of  their  written  arguments  on  this  case,  quoted 
from  the  writings  of  the  most  eminent  men,  appear  to  me 
so  clear  and  conclusive,  as  to  render  it  equally  unneces- 
sary, as  it  would  be  presumptuous  in  me  to  follow  them 
in  that  mode  of  examining  the  subject.  I shall  therefore 
confine  myself  to  such  views  of  it  as  might  naturally  offer 
themselves  to  men  of  no  extensive  reading  or  profound 
reflection,  and  such  as  may  appear,  perhaps,  more  particu- 
larly to  affect  the  equity  than  the  law  of  the  case. 

The  subject,  obviously,-  divides  itself  into  two  leading 
questions : 

First.  Has  the  neutral  claimant,  in.  this  case,  sustained 
loss  or  damage,  by  reason  of  an  irregular  or  illegal  capture 
or  condemnation  of  his  property  1 


200 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Second.  Could  the  neutral  claimant  actually  have  ob- 
tained, had  and  received,  full  and  adequate  compensation 
for  such  loss  and  damage,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  judi- 
cial proceedings  1 

If  the  ship  had  been  taken  in  the  act  of  entering,  or 
attempting  to  enter,  a port  or  place  actually  besieged, 
blockaded  or  invested,  and  known  to  the  neutral  master 
to  be  so,  I believe  there  is  little  doubt  but  the  capture, 
considered  under  the  existing  law  of  nations,  would  have 
been  regular  and  legal. 

But  if,  with  his  majesty’s  agent,  we  admit  that  the  exist- 
ing treaty  between  Great  Britain  and  America,  was  in 
operation  at  the  time  of  this  seizure,  (although  not  then 
ratified,)  it  will  then  follow  undeniably,  that  even  if  the 
ship  had  been  stopped  in  the  act  of  entering,  or  attempt- 
ing to  enter,  a port  or  place  actually  besieged,  blockaded 
or  invested,  yet  if  the  neutral  master  was  ignorant  of  that 
fact,  he  could  not,  regularly  and  legally,  have  been  seized 
as  prize,  nor  even  detained.  His  case  would  have  fallen 
under  the  provision  of  the  third  section  of  the  eighteenth 
article  of  the  treaty,  and  it  would  have  been  the  duty  of 
the  captor  to < have  notified  to  the  neutral  the  state  of  the 
place,  and  (having  prevented  his  entering  such  port)  to 
have  permitted  him  to  proceed  to  any  other  port  or  place 
without  interruption.  If  then,  even  in  attempting  to  enter 
a port  or  place  actually  besieged,  blockaded  or  invested, 
(the  neutral  master  not  knowing  it  to  be  so,)  it  was  incon- 
sistent with  this  eighteenth  article  to  seize  or  even  to 
detain  the  ship  ; much  less  must  such  seizure  or  deten- 
tion appear  to  be  justifiable  under  that  article,  the  ship 
being  bound  to  a port  not  besieged,  blockaded  or  invested, 
for  it  is  not  pretended  that  Bordeaux,  (the  port  of  destin- 
ation in  this  case,)  or  even  any  particular  port  of  France, 


201 


LIFE  OF  70HN  TRUMBULL. 

much  less  the  whole  country,  was  at  the  period  in  ques- 
tion in  such  a state. 

But  it  is  held  that  cases  other  than  those  of  actual 
siege,  blockade  or  investiture,  are  evidently  alluded  to  in 
the  eighteenth  article  of  the  existing  treaty,  as  justifying 
“ the  seizure  of  provisions,  or  other  articles  going  to  the 
“enemy,  in  certain  cases.”  This,  however,  does  not 
appear  to  me  to  be  correct.  There  is,  indeed,  an  evident 
allusion  to,  or  rather  declaration  of,  a difference  of  opinion 
on  this  subject,  on  which  the  two  negotiators  finding  it 
“ difficult  to  agree,”  all  decision  appears  to  have  been 
therefore  intentionally  waived  ; and  in  order  that  “ this  diffi- 
“ culty  of  agreeing  on  the  precise  cases  in  which  alone 
“ provisions,  and  other  articles,  not  generally  contraband, 
“ may  be  regarded  as  such,”  might  not  become  a source 
of  future  contention  between  the  two  nations,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  possible  continuation  of  contrary  opinions 
on  this  subject  of  special  contraband,  it  was  wisely  stipu- 
lated, “ that  when  provisions,  or  any  such  articles,  so 
“ becoming  contraband,  according  to  the  existing  law  of 
“ nations,  shall  for  that  reason  be  seized,  the  same  shall 
“not  be  confiscated,  but  the  owners  thereof  shall  be 
“ speedily  and  completely  indemnified.”  The  stipulation 
extends  only  to  cases  where  provisions,  &,c.  shall  become 
contraband,  “according  to  the  existing  law  of  nations.” 
Those  appear  to  be  limited  in  all  the  books,  to  cases 
of  actual  siege,  blockade  or  investiture.  It  is  however 
further  alledged,  that  “every  case  where  there  exists  a 
“ reasonable  hope  of  reducing  the  enemy  to  terms  of  peace 
“ by  famine,”  is  also  within  “ the  spirit  of  the  law.”  But 
such  a description  must  necessarily  remain  vague  and 
indefinite,  because  it  may  always  be  questioned  by  the 
one  party  whether  the  hope  entertained  by  the  other  was 

26 


202 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


reasonable  or  not.  No  new  cases  or  descriptions  of  con- 
traband, are  either  established  or  admitted  by  this  eigh- 
teenth article,  which,  on  the  contrary,  instead  of  increasing 
the  restrictions  and  inconveniences  of  neutral  commerce, 
and  thus  opening  new  sources  of  dispute  and  misunder- 
standing, I do  conceive  to  have  been  intended,  (as  several 
other  articles  of  this  treaty  evidently  were,)  to  remove  the 
grounds  and  lessen  the  probabilities  of  future  mutual  com- 
plaints ; to  extend,  rather  than  to  narrow,  the  benefits  of 
the  state  of  neutrality,  and  thus  to  diminish  to  mankind  in 
general,  those  inconveniences  which  are  necessarily  and 
unavoidably  consequent  upon  every  extensive  war  be- 
tween great  maritime  nations.  This  article  provides  only 
for  cases  “ where  provisions,  or  other  articles  not  generally 
“ contraband,  may  become  so,  according  to  the  existing 
“ law  of  nations.”  What  is  the  universally  acknowledged 
consequence  of  an  attempt  to  carry  contraband  goods  to 
an  enemy,  according  to  those  existing  laws  ? — An  unequiv- 
ocal right  not  merely  to  seize,  but  to  confiscate  without 
reserve.  But  this  eighteenth  article  stipulates  that  pro- 
visions, &c.,  “ so  becoming  contraband ,”  shall  not  be  con- 
fiscated. How  then  does  this  article  vary  the  law  1 Not 
by  enlarging  the  description  of  contraband  beyond  what 
shall  be  consistent  with  the  existing  law  of  nations,  and 
to  the  prejudice  of  the  state  of  neutrality,  but  by  stipula- 
ting, to  the  benefit  of  neutral  commerce  and  of  mankind 
at  large,  that  even  “in  certain  cases  where  provisions  and 
“ other  articles  not  generally  contraband,  may  become  so, 
“ according  to  the  existing  law  of  nations,  and  for  that 
“ reason  be  seized,”  yet  “ the  same  shall  not  be  confis - 
“ cated,  but”  (on  the  contrary)  “ the  owners  thereof  shall 
“ be  speedily  and  completely  indemnified.” 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


203 


The  tenth  article  of  the  treaty  appears  to  have  been 
suggested  by  the  same  principle,  which  I believe  to  have 
animated  the  two  eminent  negotiators  on  other  occasions 
— a sincere  desire  to  diminish  rather  than  to  extend  those 
evils  which  inevitably  accompany  the  state  of  war;  and 
this  article  which  is  here  I believe  for  the  first  time  made 
part  of  a solemn  engagement  between  two  nations,  will 
do  honor  to  those  who  have  here  introduced  it,  in  propor- 
tion as  the  long  neglect  of  a stipulation  so  obviously  just, 
is  unworthy  of  praise  in  the  negotiations  of  past  ages. 
Let  me  suppose  that  some  metaphysical  head  should 
undertake  to  derive  a right,  under  that  article,  to  confiscate 
property  in  the  public  funds,  or  debts  due  from  individuals, 
in  the  event  of  peace  and  good  understanding,  because 
such  confiscation  is  prohibited  only,  “in  any  event  of  war 
“ or  national  difference.”  The  odd  ingenuity  of  such  an 
argument  would  excite  our  surprise,  and  perhaps  call  up  a 
smile ; yet  would  not  this  logic  be  nearly  as  sound  as  that, 
which,  from  a stipulation  to  pay  for  goods  “ become  con- 
“ traband  in  certain  cases,  according  to  the  existing  law 
“ of  nations,”  would  infer  a right  to  seize  as  contraband, 
provisions,  &c.,  in  cases  where  they  are  manifestly  not  so 
according  to  that  law  1 

The  argument  in  justification  of  the  present  seizure, 
is  then  reduced  to  this,  “ that  the  right  of  the  belligerent 
“ to  seize  as  contraband,  provisions  going  to  the  enemy, 
“ extends  to  all  cases  where  there  exists  a reasonable  hope 
“ or  expectation  of  reducing  an  enemy  to  terms  of  peace 
“ by  famine.”  I willingly  waive  all  those  objections  to 
this  vague  and  indefinite  principle,  which  arise  in  gen- 
eral from  the  difficulty  of  ascertaining  what  are  cases 
in  which  a hope  of  this  nature  may  reasonably  be 
entertained ; because  I do  not  think  it  difficult  to  de- 


204 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


monstrate,  that  the  case  before  us  was  not  of  that 
description. 

In  Coxe’s  View  of  America,  published  in  1793,  will  be 
found  a correct  and  official  statement  of  the  exports  of  the 
United  States  for  the  preceding  year,  1 792 ; from  which 
we  learn,  that  the  whole  quantity  of  bread-stuff  exported 
from  that  country,  during  that  year,  was  as  follows,  viz. 


Of  flour,  824,464  barrels,  at  190  lbs.  each,  is  156,648,160  lbs. 

“ 51,227,400  “ 

“ 117,898,380  “ 

“ 42,528,600  “ 


“ wheat,  853,790  bushels,  “ 60  “ 

“ maize,  1,964,973  “ “ 60  “ 

“ rice,  141,762  tierces,  “ 300  “ 

And  in  all  other  articles  of  a nature  convert- 
ible into  bread,  including  ship-bread  and 
biscuit, 


31,697,460 


Total  of  exports,  pounds,  - 
To  this  add  for  increase  of  weight  by 
making  into  bread,  one  fourth, 


400.000. 000  “ 

100.000. 000  “ 


And  we  shall  have,  pounds  of  bread,  - 500,000,000  : 

being  all  that  could  be  made  from  the  whole  exports  of 
America  for  the  year  1792. 

In  a work  published  in  France  in  1775,  “Sur  le  Legis- 
“ lation  et  le  commerce  de  Grains,”  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  estimable  and  correct  works  of  the  kind  extant, 
may  be  found  a note,  at  page  fifty  nine  of  the  first  Paris 
edition,  Chap,  xm,  in  which  the  author  states  his  opinion 
of  the  quantity  of  corn  or  bread,  annually  and  daily  con- 
sumed by  the  inhabitants  of  France,  and  a very  correct 
detail  of  the  principles  and  inductions,  on  which  this 
opinion  is  grounded ; from  which  it  appears,  that  the 
inhabitants  of  France  were  then  estimated  at  twenty  four 
millions,  and  that  each  inhabitant  was  estimated  to  require 
for  food,  about  two  septiers  or  eight  and  two  thirds  Win- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


205 


Chester  bushels  of  corn  each  year,  equal  to  one  and  a half 
pounds  of  bread  daily.  In  his  estimate  of  the  quantity  of 
bread,  this  author  has  been  followed  by  Neckar  and  others, 
but  almost  all  agree  that  the  actual  number  of  inhabitants 
in  France  exceeds  his  estimate.  I will  however  follow 
him  entirely,  and  by  his  estimate,  we  shall  have  thirty  six 
millions  of  pounds  of  bread,  as  the  daily  consumption  of 
the  French  nation. 

We  have  before  seen  that  all  the  corn,  &,c.  exported 
from  the  United  States  of  America  in  the  year  1792, 
would  have  produced  five  hundred  million  pounds  of 
bread.  Dividing  this  sum  by  thirty  six  million  pounds, 
the  amount  of  the  daily  consumption  of  France,  we  have 
as  the  result,  nearly  fourteen  days’  bread  for  the  people 
of  that  country.  Fourteen  days  are  the  twenty  sixth  part 
of  the  year : supposing  then,  that  each  person  in  France 
should  prudently  economize,  each  day,  one  twenty  sixth 
part  of  his  customary  allowance  of  bread,  and  instead  of 
twenty  four  ounces,  eat  somewhat  more  than  twenty  three ; 
and  the  same  effect  would  be  produced,  as  by  the  import- 
ation of  all  that  America  could  export. 

I am  well  aware  that  in  a case  of  sudden  alarm,  or 
apprehension  of  scarcity,  (in  a country  habituated  to  ease 
and  plenty,)  where  the  actual  evil  is  magnified  ten-fold 
by  the  united  operation  of  fear  and  avarice ; the  importa- 
tion of  such  a proportion  of  foreign  corn  would  be  of  vast 
importance,  by  dispelling  the  fears  of  the  timid,  and  by 
opposing  the  dread  of  a falling  market  to  a disposition  to 
monopolize.  Such  was  lately  the  state  of  England ; the 
alarm  (which  is  now  known  to  have  had  little  true  foun- 
dation,) was  too  sudden  and  universal,  to  be  remedied  by 
the  slow  but  certain  operation  of  a system  of  economy 
only,  and  government  wisely  had  recourse  to  the  same 


206 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


passion  which  was  the  principal  cause  of  the  evil — a 
bounty  on  foreign  corn  was  offered,  and  the  importation 
of  a quantity  comparatively  very  trifling,  produced  the 
most  salutary  and  important  effects.  The  public  sale  of 
this  small  quantity  in  the  London  market,  produced  a 
reduction  of  price,  and  of  course  from  every  part  of  the 
country,  corn  was  hurried  to  market  by  those  who  before 
had  been  busily  employed  in  hoarding  and  withholding  it. 
But  such  was  not  the  state  of  France  at  the  period  in 
question.  There  the  people  had  long  apprehended  and 
sometimes  felt  a real  degree  of  scarcity ; the  attempt  to 
reduce  them  to  terms  of  peace  by  famine,  had  already 
been  made  in  1793,  without  success,  although  under  cir- 
cumstances much  more  favorable  to  the  hopes  of  her  ene- 
mies. The  people  had  of  course  been  trained  to  habits 
of  economy,  and  had  learned  to  rely  on  that  resource, 
whose  operation  when  once  generally  adopted,  is  infinitely 
more  effectual  than  any  aid  which  may  be  hoped  for  from 
foreign  supplies.  1 must  be  permitted  to  observe,  that  in 
the  foregoing  statement  I have  given  the  most  unlimited 
extent  to  the  argument  against  me,  for  in  truth,  almost  all 
the  wheat  which  is  exported  from  the  United  States  goes 
to  Portugal,  where,  for  the  benefit  of  the  manufactures, 
the  importation  of  flour  is  prohibited,  and  almost  all  the 
maize  or  Indian  corn  is  sent  to  the  West  Indies,  and  there 
forms  a principal  part  of  the  food  of  the  blacks ; so  that 
deducting  these  two  great  articles  from  the  account,  it  can 
scarcely  be  possible  that  even  on  extraordinary  occasions, 
more  than  one  half  of  the  exports  of  America  can  find 
their  way  to  France.  Thus,  in  fact,  this  hope  of  reducing 
the  French  nation  to  terms  of  peace  by  famine,  (so  far  as 
the  interruption  of  American  commerce  would  influence,) 
is  founded  on  the  supposition  that  the  people  of  France 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  THUMB  ULL. 


207 


may  be  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  eating  one  fifty  second 
part  less  than  their  usual  allowance  of  bread. 

But  it  may  fairly  be  objected  to  the  whole  of  this  argu- 
ment, that  it  is  altogether  hypothetical,  and  that  I have 
considered  only  the  resources  drawn  from  America, 
whereas,  I ought  to  consider  that  all  supplies  from  abroad 
were  intended  to  be  intercepted  by  the  entire  interruption 
of  neutral  commerce.  I am  happy  to  have  it  in  my  power 
to  give  more  correctness  to  this  part  of  my  argument,  and 
to  state  from  official  documents,  what  real  effect  was 
produced  both  by  the  orders  of  1793,  and  by  those 
of  1795. 

An  important  paper,  (No.  23  of  the  appendix  to  the 
third  report  of  the  committee  of  secrecy,  printed  in  April, 
1797,)  showing  the  amount  in  value  of  the  corn  im- 
ported into,  and  exported  from  Great  Britain,  in  the  years 
1793,  ’4,  ’5,  ’6,  and  ’7,  gives  us  correct  and  unquestion- 
able information  on  this  subject.  It  is  there  stated,  that 
the  corn  of  all  nations  either  detained,  or  brought  into 
ports  of  Great  Britain  as  prize,  amounted  to  the  following 
value,  viz. 

In  1793  and  ’4,  to  - - £232,771  12s.  Bd. 

“ 1795,  “ 129,063  03s.  Id. 

“ 1796,  “ ...  20,384  13s.  8 d. 

I will  suppose  this  entire  quantity  to  have  consisted  in 
wheat,  which,  in  the  paper  referred  to,  (No.  23,)  is  stated 
to  be  valued  at  32s.  the  quarter,  or  4s.  the  bushel ; at  that 
rate  of  value,  the  above  several  sums  will  give  us  the  fol- 
lowing quantities  of  wheat,  viz. 

1793  and  ’4,  bushels,  1,163,860  at  60  lbs.  each,  is  69,831,600  lbs. 

1795,  “ 645,316  “ 60  “ “ 38,718,960  “ 

1796,  “ 101,923  “ 60  “ “ 6,115,380  “ 


208 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Let  it  next  be  understood  that  the  whole  of  this  corn 
so  captured  or  detained,  at  those  several  periods,  was 
destined  to  ports  of  France,  then  we  shall  find  that,  by 
their  capture,  the  French  nation  was  actually  deprived  oi 
the  following  part  of  their  bread,  viz. 

In  1793  and  ’4,  of  almost  two  days’  bread. 

In  1795,  of  something  more  than  one  day’s  bread;  and  that 

In  1796,  they  did  not  lose  one  breakfast. 

Such  was  the  real  effect  produced  by  the  operation  of 
the  orders  of  1793  and  1795. 

At  the  time  of  the  transaction  which  gave  rise  to  the 
present  discussion,  the  trivial  effect  of  the  order  of  1793 
must  have  been  known ; and  it  is  palpable,  therefore,  that 
the  order  of  1795  could  not  have  been  founded  in  any 
reasonable  hope  or  expectation,  of  thereby  reducing  the 
French  nation  to  terms  of  peace  by  famine.  An  ardent 
and  enthusiastic  enemy  cannot  reasonably  be  expected  to 
make  any  considerable  sacrifice  of  his  animosities,  his 
prejudices  or  his  pursuits,  in  consequence  of  such  very 
trifling  inconveniences  as  we  see  were  the  consequence  of 
the  orders  in  question. 

From  the  foregoing  observations  I trust  it  sufficiently 
appears,  that  the  capture  in  question  cannot  be  justified 
by  the  law  of  nations,  under  the  description  of  goods 
attempted  to  be  carried  to  a place  actually  besieged, 
blockaded  or  invested ; nor  yet  under  the  eighteenth 
article  of  the  existing  treaty ; nor  yet  under  the  broad 
idea  of  a reasonable  hope  of  reducing  the  enemy  by  fam- 
ine. It  only  remains  to  inquire,  whether  there  existed 
at  the  time  any  necessity  on  the  part  of  the  captor,  so 
pressing  as  to  justify  the  act. 

The  necessity  which  can  be  admitted  to  supersede  all 
laws,  and  to  dissolve  the  distinctions  of  pr  operty  and  right, 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


209 


must  be  absolute  and  irresistible;  and  we  cannot,  until 
all  other  means  of*  self-preservation  shall  have  been  ex- 
hausted, justify,  by  the  plea  of  necessity,  the  seizure  and 
application  to  our  own  use,  of  that  which  belongs  to  others. 
Did  any  such  state  of  things  exist  in  Great  Britain  in  April, 
1795?  Were  any  means  employed  to  guard  against  an 
apprehended,  rather  than  an  existing  scarcity,  before  the 
measure  in  question  was  adopted  ? And  when  a degree 
of  scarcity  really  was  felt,  a few  months  later  in  the  year, 
was  not  the  obvious  and  inoffensive  measure  of  offering  a 
bounty  on  corn  imported,  effectual,  and  that  speedily  ? It 
cannot  then  be  presumed,  that  the  capture  in  question  is 
any  more  to  be  justified  by  the  plea  of  necessity,  than  it 
is  by  that  of  right ; and  I must  therefore  conclude,  that 
the  neutral  claimant  has  in  this  case  suffered  loss  and 
damage  by  reason  of  an  irregular  and  illegal  capture. 

I am  next  to  examine  the  second  leading  question,  viz. 
Whether,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  judicial  proceedings,  the 
neutral  claimant  could  actually  have  obtained,  had  and 
received,  full  and  adequate  compensation  for  the  loss  and 
damage  which  he  has  so  sustained. 

When  in  a public  instrument  of  contract  between  two 
nations,  the  ordinary  course  of  judicial  proceedings  of  one 
of  the  parties,  is  made  the  rule  by  which  the  other  party 
is  bound  to  govern  his  conduct  on  an  important  point,  we 
must  presume  that  the  meaning  of  the  term  ordinary 
course , is  easily  within  the  knowledge  of  the  foreigner, 
whose  interests  are  made  so  materially  to  depend  upon  a 
correct  understanding  of  the  term.  In  the  present  case, 
the  most  obvious  and  authoritative  source  to  which  a 
foreigner  would  naturally  look  for  information  on  the 
subject,  appears  to  be  the  written  law,  by  which  proceed- 
ings in  matters  of  prize  are  regulated,  commonly  known 

27  " 


210 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


by  the  name  of  the  prize  act : he  would  naturally  conclude 
that  this  act  was  intended  by  the  legislature,  to  provide 
and  define  the  ordinary  course  of  judicial  proceedings  in 
matters  of  prize. 

1 have  followed  this  mode  of  inquiry,  and  in  seeking  in 
that  act,  for  provisions  descriptive  of,  or  applicable  to,  the 
proceedings  which  have  been  had  in  this  and  similar  cases, 
I find  very  few  of  its  provisions  which  are  so  applicable. 
But  I observe,  that  the  thirty  fifth  section  of  the  act 
reserves  authority  to  his  majesty,  with  the  advice  of  his 
privy  council,  to  give  from  time  to  time,  such  further 
rules  and  directions  to  his  courts  of  admiralty,  as  by  him 
shall  be  thought  necessary  and  proper. 

The  ordinary  course  of  judicial  proceedings,  I conceive 
then  to  be  pointed  out  in  the  body  of  the  act ; and  the 
thirty-fifth  section,  I presume,  was  intended  to  apply  to 
extraordinary  and  unforeseen  cases  which  might  arise,  and 
which  might,  in  the  opinion  of  his  majesty’s  government, 
require  measures  varying  from  the  ordinary  course  which 
the  act  had  already  defined. 

The  prize  act  authorizes  all  persons  acting  under  com- 
missions or  letters  of  marque,  duly  granted,  to  seize  and 
bring  into  port,  <$lc.  all  vessels,  Slc.  belonging  to  enemies 
of  Great  Britain.  The  seizure  in  question  is  understood 
to  have  been  made  under  an  order  or  instruction  of  his 
majesty,  for  seizing  and  bringing  into  port,  &, c.  all  neutral 
vessels , laden,  either  in  whole  or  in  part,  with  provisions, 
and  bound  to  ports  of  the  enemy.  It  is  further  under- 
stood to  have  been  part  of  that  order  and  instruction, 
“ that  the  officers  and  companies  of  his  majesty’s  vessels 
“ of  war,  acting  in  execution  thereof,  were  to  be  paid  a 
“ certain  sum  per  ton  on  the  measurement  of  the  neutral 
« vessels  which  might  be  so  taken  in  lieu  and  discharge  of 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


211 


“all  other  and  customary  claims.”  I say  understood  to 
have  been,  because  we  have  not  been  able  to  procure  a 
copy  of  the  order  itself,  which  circumstance  forms  an 
additional  point,  in  which  this  business  varies  ab  initio 
from  the  ordinary  course  of  proceedings,  according  to 
which  his  majesty’s  orders  and  instructions  (of  this  nature) 
to  his  vessels  of  war  are  public,  and  copies  thereof  always 
easily  to  be  obtained,  at  his  courts  of  admiralty.  Thus  it 
appears  that  the  capture,  or  first  step  in  the  business  before 
us,  took  place  in  obedience  to  a particular  order  of  his 
majesty’s  government,  varying  from  the  ordinary  course  of 
proceedings. 

The  second  step  in  this  case,  in  which  a wide  devia- 
tion from  the  ordinary  course  of  judicial  proceedings  is 
observable,  is,  that  the  judge  of  the  high  court  of  admi- 
ralty, as  soon  as  the  cause  was  brought  within  his  cogni- 
zance, and  before  any  decision  or  even  inquiry  was  made, 
whether  the  property  belonged  to  neutral,  friend  or  enemy, 
ordered  the  cargo  to  be  sold  to  his  majesty’s  government, 
and  afterwards,  upon  due  examination,  decreed  both  vessel 
and  cargo  to  belong  as  claimed  to  neutrals.  In  this  devi- 
ation from  the  ordinary  course,  it  is  also  understood,  that 
the  judge  acted  in  obedience  to  an  express  order  of  his 
majesty’s  government. 

A third  conspicuous  deviation  from  the  ordinary  course 
of  judicial  proceedings  observable  in  this  case,  is  the  man- 
ner of  sale,  and  the  rule  by  which  the  value  of  the  cargo, 
decreed  to  be  paid  to  the  neutral  owner,  was  ascertained. 
The  merchants,  by  whom  the  registrar  was  assisted  in  this 
case,  are  highly  respectable  and  very  well  informed  men. 
It  must  have  been  obvious  to  them,  that  the  cargoes  of 
different  ships  are  very  seldom  composed  either  entirely 
of  similar  articles,  or  of  various  articles  in  precisely  the 


212 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


same  proportion ; and  that,  of  course,  one  rate  of  com- 
pensation could  never,  with  equal  justice,  be  applied  to 
many  cases.  In  cargoes  composed  principally  of  articles 
for  which  the  demand  was  great,  it  must  have  been  evi- 
dent to  them,  that  ten  per  cent,  advance  on  the  foot  of  the 
invoice,  was  not  an  adequate  compensation ; and  it  must 
have  been  equally  evident,  that  in  other  cases  of  cargoes 
composed  principally  of  articles  not  in  demand,  ten  per 
cent,  might  be  more  than  an  adequate  compensation. 
Those  gentlemen  acting  as  in  the  ordinary  course  of  judi- 
cial proceedings,  and  following  the  dictates  of  their  own 
judgments  and  consciences,  would  never  have  thought  it 
their  duty  to  adopt  this  rule  of  ten  per  cent,  (which  might 
thus  prejudice,  in  some  instances,  the  interests  of  their 
own  nation,  and  in  very  many  those  of  the  neutrals)  as  a 
measure  of  justice,  equally  applicable  to  all  the  variety  of 
cases  which  the  order  of  April,  1795,  might  bring  before 
them;  and,  accordingly,  we  find  them  declaring  to  the 
claimant,  that  they  (in  thus  deviating  from  their  ordinary 
course)  acted  in  obedience  to  the  particular  and  positive 
instructions  of  his  majesty’s  government. 

The  agent  for  the  neutral  owners,  (a  respectable  mer- 
chant of  the  city  of  London,  and  a British  subject,)  states 
to  us,  in  an  affidavit  in  due  form,  that  after  remonstrating 
in  vain  with  the  registrar  and  merchants,  while  making  up 
their  report,  on  the  injustice  of  applying  the  rule  of  ten 
per  cent,  in  this  case,  he  (being  so  referred  by  them  for 
further  information)  made  personal  application  to  Mr.  Long, 
one  of  the  secretaries  of  his  majesty’s  treasury,  that  hav- 
ing repeated  to  him  the  hardships  of  this  case,  and  having 
solicited  permission  to  take  the  sale  of  this  cargo  into  his 
own  hands,  giving  bond  that  it  should  be  sold  in  England, 
he  received  for  answer  from  Mr.  Long,  “ that  the  whole 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


213 


“business  had  been  conducted,  and  the  registrar  and 
“ merchants  had  acted  in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  his 
“ majesty’s  government,  and  that  no  deviation  from  the 
“ rules  established  by  those  orders,  could  be  admitted  in 
“ any  particular  case  and  upon  the  proposal  of  the  said 
agent  to  carry  his  inquiries  and  remonstrances  to  a still 
higher  authority,  he  was  answered  by  Mr.  Long,  “ that 
“ ail  further  application  would  be  vain  ; that  the  execution 
“ of  this  branch  of  business  was  committed  expressly  to 
“ his  (Mr.  Long’s)  direction,  and  no  variation  from  the 
“ system  which  had  been  adopted  by  his  majesty’s  gov- 
“ ernment  would  be  admitted.” 

Thus  it  appears,  that  the  whole  of  this  transaction, 
from  its  commencement  to  its  ultimate  stage,  was  out  of 
the  ordinary  course  of  judicial  proceedings  ; and  that  by 
the  express  and  repeated  orders  of  his  majesty’s  govern- 
ment. 

It  is  now  to  be  inquired,  whether  the  claimant,  by  any 
possible  endeavors  to  pursue  the  ordinary  course  of  judi- 
cial proceedings  further  than  he  did,  could  in  the  end, 
actually  have  obtained,  had  and  received,  full  and  ade- 
quate compensation  for  the  loss  and  damage  which  he 
complains  to  have  sustained  in  this  case. 

We  have  been  told  that  an  application  to  the  judge  of 
the  high  court  of  admiralty,  to  correct  the  report  of  the 
registrar  and  merchants,  would  have  been  effectual ; but  I 
cannot  consider  this  to  be  presumable ; nor  can  I even 
regard  the  claimant  as  having  been  under  any  obligation 
to  attempt  that  mode,  because  we  have  seen  that  the 
judge  himself  had  deviated  as  essentially  from  the  ordin- 
ary course  of  proceedings,  in  obedience  to  one  order  of 
his  majesty’s  government ; and  I cannot  perceive  a shadow 
of  reason  for  believing  that  he  who  had  yielded  a ready 


214 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


obedience  in  one  stage  of  the  business,  would  have  un- 
dertaken, at  the  next  step,  to  oppose  or  control  another 
order  emanating  from  the  same  high  authority. 

It  does  not  appear  to  me  that  the  judge  could  have 
done  so  consistently  with  his  duty  ; nor,  in  truth,  can  I 
comprehend,  that  the  captor,  the  judge,  or  the  registrar  and 
merchants,  have  done  either  more  or  less  than  their  duty, 
in  the  whole  course  of  this  transaction.  They  have  acted 
in  their  several  characters  of  officers  or  servants  of  his 
majesty,  who,  by  the  thirty-fifth  section  of  the  prize  act, 
is  expressly  invested  with  the  power  to  give  them  such 
further  instructions,  as  to  him,  with  the  advice  of  his  privy 
council,  shall  appear  to  be  necessary ; further  instructions 
were  given  in  this  case,  and  these  servants  of  the  crown 
had  but  one  duty — to  obey. 

It  may  here,  perhaps,  be  objected,  “that  it  does  not 
“ appear  that  the  order  under  which  the  registrar  and 
“ merchants  acted,  was  an  order  of  his  majesty,  with  the 
“ advice  of  his  privy  council,  and  that  neither  were  they 
“ bound  to  obey  an  order  given  by  any  other  authority, 
“ nor  was  the  judge  bound  to  confirm  their  report,  unless 
“ made  in  obedience  to  the  order  of  that  particular  author- 
“ ity.”  I beg  leave  to  reply,  that  neither  does  the  con- 
trary appear ; the  objection  may,  with  equal  justice,  be 
extended  (for  aught  we  know)  to  the  orders  under  which 
the  capture  was  made,  and  to  that  under  which  the  cargo 
was  sold  to  his  majesty’s  government,  since  all  these 
orders  were  in  such  complete  deviation  from  the  ordinary 
course,  as  to  have  been,  and  to  remain  at  this  hour,  all 
and  equally  invisible  to  us.  It  is  enough  to  my  argu- 
ment, that  they  were  thus  out  of  the  ordinary  course,  and 
(whether  rightfully  or  not  is  not  for  us  to  inquire)  that  in 
fact,  they  have  been  obeyed  by  his  majesty’s  officers  and 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


215 


servants,  and  thus  have  hitherto  prevented  the  actual 
receipt  of  full  and  adequate  compensation  by  the  neutral 
claimant. 

One  step  only  remained  to  have  been  taken  by  the 
claimant,  in  compliance  with  the  ordinary  course,  which 
appears  to  me  to  have  offered  any  hope  of  relief — an 
appeal  to  the  lords  commissioners — and  this  we  under- 
stand to  have  been  omitted,  in  consequence  of  the  answer 
of  Mr.  Long  to  the  agent,  which  has  been  stated  above. 
We  are  told  that  this  was  not  sufficient  authority,  and  that 
an  appeal  ought  to  have  been  instituted  notwithstanding 
that  answer.  What  authority  then  wTould  have  been  suffi- 
cient ? Is  it  expected  that  the  prime  minister,  or  the  lord 
president  of  the  council,  shall  personally  answer  every 
question  respecting  the  several  departments?  Why  are 
secretaries  attached  to  those  departments,  if  faith  and 
credence  are  not  due  them  1 Mr.  Long,  a member  of  the 
house  of  commons  of  England,  has  been  for  several  years 
one  of  the  confidential  and  efficient  secretaries  of  the  first 
minister ; a character  of  no  light  import,  whether  wTe  con- 
sider the  very  important  duties  of  the  employment,  or  the 
discriminating  talents  of  that  great  man,  under  whose  near 
and  constant  inspection  those  duties  are  performed. 

I confess  myself  so  confirmed  in  habits  of  subordina- 
tion, that  I should  regard  the  information  officially  given  to 
me  by  Mr.  Long,  relative  to  a measure  actually  adopted, 
or  to  an  order  actually  given  by  his  majesty’s  government, 
to  be  of  exactly  equal  authority,  as  if  it  had  been  com- 
municated to  me  by  the  minister  himself. 

But  here  again  the  objection  returns,  “ that  the  order 
“of  his  majesty’s  government,  is  not  the  order  of  his 
“ majesty  with  the  advice  of  his  privy  council.”  Granted ; 
and  I will  for  a moment  admit,  (what  is  by  no  means 


216 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


ascertained  by  any  evidence  before  us,)  that  the  orders 
under  which  the  captor  and  judge  acted,  were  orders  of 
the  king  and  council ; and  that  the  orders  under  which 
the  registrar  and  merchants  acted,  were  not.  What  then 
would  have  been  the  course  of  the  business  ? By  his 
majesty’s  government,  let  me  be  understood  to  mean, 
those  ministers  to  whom  his  majesty  is  pleased  to  confide 
the  executive  power  and  business  of  the  government. 
His  majesty’s  government  (in  common  with  the  executive 
branch  of  every  government)  must  possess  an  unity  of 
sentiment  and  action ; that  is,  there  must  reside  some- 
where a power  to  prevent  discord,  and  the  struggle  of  any 
part  against  the  general  will,  since  these  would  tend  to 
produce  contradictory  measures,  to  introduce  confusion, 
and  to  obstruct  the  business  of  the  nation.  This  con- 
trolling power  is  generally  understood  to  be  in  the  prime 
minister ; where  it  actually  does  reside,  requires  no  long 
investigation.  We  need  only  look  to  the  order  of  council 
of  the  26th  of  February  last.  Let  it  further  be  remem- 
bered, that  the  ministers  composing  his  majesty’s  govern- 
ment are  also  members  of  his  majesty’s  privy  council,  and 
of  course  have  a right  to — and  on  important  occasions 
actually  do — sit  as  lords  commissioners  of  appeal  in  prize 
cases.  Knowing  and  remembering  these  things,  are  we 
to  believe,  in  direct  contradiction  to  precedent  and  to  daily 
practice,  that  the  lords  commissioners  of  appeal,  would  on 
this  occasion  have  placed  themselves  in  direct  opposition 
to  an  important  measure  of  his  majesty’s  government  ? — 
that  his  majesty’s  government  would  thus  have  become 
“ a house  divided  against  itself?”  Is  it  not  rather  to  be 
believed,  that  if  the  lords  commissioners  had  found  them- 
selves embarrassed  by  the  supposed  informality  of  the 
order  in  question,  this  embarrassment  would  have  been 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


217 


removed,  by  a reference  to  the  privy  council  for  the  adop- 
tion of  the  necessary  forms  ? I cannot  but  believe  that 
such  would  have  been  the  course,  and  that  an  appeal 
would  have  answered  no  purpose  to  the  neutral  claimant 
but  to  create  delay,  and  to  increase  his  expenses  ; neither 
can  I believe  that  many  Englishmen,  of  candid  minds,  can 
really  persuade  themselves  to  entertain  a contrary  opinion. 

I trust  that  I have  thus  made  manifest  at  least,  a very 
high  degree  of  improbability  of  redress  having  been  attain- 
able by  the  neutral  claimant  in  this  case,  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  judicial  proceedings ; but  it  may  be  denied  that 
I have  demonstrated  the  absolute  impossibility. 

I beg  leave  to  refer  those  who  may  be  disposed  to  make 
this  objection,  to  the  legal  arguments  of  other  gentlemen 
on  this  subject,  and  particularly  that  of  Mr.  Pinckney. 
These  appear  to  me  to  be  fully  conclusive,  and  therefore 
have  my  entire  assent.  I shall  content  myself  with  further 
observing,  generally,  that  the  first  step  of  the  judge,  in 
ordering  the  cargo  to  be  sold  to  his  majesty’s  government, 
and  its  consequent  delivery  out  of  the  custody  and  con- 
trol equally  of  the  captor  and  of  the  court  itself,  into  the 
hands  of  his  majesty’s  government,  or  its  agents,  dis- 
charged the  captor  in  every  view  of  justice  or  of  equity, 
that  I can  comprehend,  from  any  just  responsibility  there- 
after. By  what  process  consistent  with  the  ordinary 
course  of  judicial  proceedings,  the  neutral  claimant  after 
that  step,  was  to  obtain,  have  and  receive,  the  full  com- 
pensation which  is  the  object  of  the  treaty,  either  from 
the  captor,  who  appears  to  me  to  have  been  thus  deprived 
of  that,  which,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  judicial  pro- 
ceedings, constitutes  the  object  and  the  measure  of  his 
responsibility,  or  from  his  majesty’s  government,  whose 
responsibility  respects  only  the  supreme  tribunal  of  the 

28 


218 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


nation,  I confess  I cannot  comprehend.  I have  searched 
in  vain  that  act,  which  I understand  to  designate  the 
ordinary  course  of  judicial  proceedings  in  matters  of  prize, 
and  which  is  the  measure  and  rule  of  the  claimant’s  duties ; 
and  finding  no  such  process  there  designated,  I cannot 
but  conclude,  that  it  was  not  possible  for  the  claimant  in 
this  case,  actually  to  obtain,  have  and  receive,  full  and 
adequate  compensation  for  the  loss  and  damage  which 
he  has  sustained,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  judicial  pro- 
ceedings. 

To  no  extraordinary  means  had  he  either  the  power  or 
the  obligation  to  have  recourse,  except  to  that  which  he 
has  followed  by  his  memorial  to  this  board  ; and  it  is 
clearly  my  opinion  that  we  are  bound  carefully  to  examine 
his  case,  and  to  give  therein  such  award,  as  shall  appear 
to  us  to  be  consistent  with  equity,  justice,  and  the  law  of 
nations.  (Signed)  John  Trumbull. 

July  26th,  1797. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


219 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Age,  41—1797. 

Last  and  most  dangerous  visit  to  France — Furnished  with  letters  to  Tal- 
leyrand— Revolution  of  18th  Fructidor — Find  a vessel  about  to  sail 
for  Rotterdam — Go  on  board  and  escape — At  the  Hague  obtain  from 
the  French  minister  a passport  to  go  to  Stutgard,  and  thence  to  Paris 
— Arrive  at  Stutgard,  and  find  my  plate  admirably  engraved — Take 
both  plate  and  picture,  and  set  off  for  Paris — Visit  from  M.  D’Hauteval, 
and  hint  that  it  was  expected  T should  visit  M.  Talleyrand — Settle 
my  commercial  affairs,  and  apply  for  passport — Difficulties  and  de- 
lay— Apply  in  vain  to  American  ministers — Apply  to  Talleyrand — 
Go  again  to  police — Alarming  reception — Almost  in  despair,  go  again 
with  M.  David  to  the  police — Passport  obtained — Set  off  for  Calais — 
Adventure  at  St.  Dennis — Character  of  David — Ride  night  and  day 
to  Calais — Embark  in  the  roads — Safe  arrival  in  England — Farewell 
to  dangerous  adventures — Attend  to  business. 

The  board  of  commissioners  adjourned  on  the  last  of 
July,  to  meet  on  the  1st  of  November,  1797.  I had 
received  information  from  Mr.  Muller,  the  engraver,  at 
Stutgard,  that  he  had  finished  the  engraving  of  the  battle 
of  Bunker’s  Hill,  and  waited  my  final  criticism  and  orders. 
This  recess  of  the  board  allowed  good  time  for  the  journey 
to  Stutgard,  and  I determined  to  go,  passing  through  Paris, 
for  the  purpose  of  closing  all  my  business  and  accounts 
there. 

M.  Talleyrand  was,  at  the  time,  minister  of  foreign 
affairs  in  France.  He  had  been  in  America,  and  was 
there  treated  with  marked  civility  by  my  brother,  then 
speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives  of*  the  United 
States ; had  there  known  also,  and  been  treated  with  the 
utmost  hospitality  and  kindness  by  my  friends  Mr.  King 


220 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


and  Mr.  Gore.  I therefore  requested  letters  from  them 
to  the  minister,  and  felt  myself  secure  of  a kind  reception. 
I crossed  to  Calais,  where  I found  it  necessary  to  remain, 
until  a passport  could  be  obtained  from  Paris.  I wrote 
immediately  to  M.  Talleyrand  and  my  bankers,  put  my 
letters  in  the  post-office,  with  my  own  hand,  and  in  reg- 
ular time  received  an  answer  from  the  bankers,  but  none 
from  the  minister,  nor  any  passport,  and  of  course  I 
remained  in  Calais  three  weeks,  in  a state  of  painful  sur- 
veillance. 

It  had  become  a popular  notion  in  France,  that  the 
enemies  of  the  republic  had  adopted  a particular  color  of 
dress,  by  which  they  recognized  each  other — a sort  of 
freemason  sign — a grey  coat,  with  a cape  of  black  velvet. 
This  was  a favorite  color  with  me,  which  I had  worn  for 
several  years,  and,  unluckily,  one  morning  I walked  to  the 
public  square  in  this  suspected  dress.  I observed  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  square,  a considerable  assemblage  of 
people,  apparently  in  some  agitation,  and  I had  hardly 
entered  the  square,  when  I heard  the  cry,  “ a bos,  les  col - 
“ lets  noirs — a bets,  les  collets  noirs”  (Down  with  the 
black  collars.)  It  was  fortunate  that  I understood  the 
language,  and  caught  instantly  the  cry  and  its  horrible 
meaning.  I hurried  back  to  my  hotel,  changed  my  dress, 
tore  off  the  offending  collar,  and  threw  it  in  the  fire.  The 
next  day’s  post  explained  the  irritated  state  of  the  peo- 
ple ; it  brought  news  of  the  Revolution,  as  it  was  called, 
of  the  18th  Fructidor,  in  which  Pichegru,  Barthelenry, 
Barbe  Marbois,  and  others,  were  arrested  and  ordered 
to  be  transported  to  Cayenne.  In  these  days,  the  fever- 
ish symptoms  of  Paris  were  propagated,  through  the 
affiliations  of  the  Jacobin  system,  with  the  velocity  of  elec- 
tricity, and  the  pulse  of  every  village  responded  to  the 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


221 


feverish  heat  of  the  great  political  heart.  I received  by 
the  post  a line  from  my  bankers,  advising  me  to  get  out  of 
the  territory  of  France  as  soon  as  possible. 

Finding  a vessel  about  to  sail  immediately  for  Rotter- 
dam, I obtained  a passage  in  her,  and  was  soon  at  the 
Hague,  where  I obtained  from  the  resident  minister  of 
France,  a passport  to  travel  up  the  Rhine  to  Stutgard, 
and  thence  to  return  through  Paris  to  Calais.  There  was 
an  armistice  at  the  moment,  and  in  my  journey,  my  road 
led  me  alternately  through  the  military  positions  of  the 
French  and  Austrian  troops.  For  instance,  at  Coblentz, 
I met  the  funeral  procession  of  General  Hoche,  which 
passed  under  the  walls  of  Ehrenbretstein,  and  received 
the  funeral  salute  of  respect  and  condolence  from  the 
Austrian  garrison.  And  on  the  plains  of  Schwetzingen, 
my  road  carried  me  through  the  army  of  the  Archduke 
Charles,  of  fifty  thousand  men,  engaged  in  a mock  battle 
on  the  last  day  of  a grand  review.  It  was  a magnificent 
representation  of  the  awful  reality,  and  had  called  together 
a prodigious  multitude  of  spectators,  from  all  the  surround- 
ing country.  The  neighboring  city  of  Heidelberg  was 
full  of  strangers,  and  a bed  unattainable ; I passed  on 
therefore,  and  soon  reached  Stutgard. 

I found  my  plate  of  Bunker’s  Hill  admirably  engraved, 
and  requiring  very  little  additional  work.  I remained  a 
few  days,  and  was  present  at  a splendid  ball  given  in  the 
theatre,  on  the  occasion  of  the  marriage  of  the  Duke  of 
Wirtemberg  with  the  princess  royal  of  England,  and 
there  saw  waltzing  for  the  first  time,  in  high  style. 

Having  received  my  picture  and  copper-plate,  and  set- 
tled with  M.  Muller,  I obtained  from  the  Prussian  resident 
minister,  as  well  as  from  the  government  of  Wirtemberg, 
passports  for  Paris,  and  set  off  with  the  intention  of  passing 


222 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


through  Strasbourg,  but  was  stopped  near  Rastadt,  which 
had  been  named  as  the  place  for  the  approaching  negotia- 
tion, and  was  obliged  to  return  through  Carlsruhe  and 
Baden  to  Manheim.  There  I found  the  military  again  in 
motion,  and  with  some  difficulty  obtained  from  the  Arch- 
duke Charles,  his  passport  to  pass  the  military  posts  on 
the  frontier.  I went  on,  through  roads  very  much  broken 
up  by  military  transportation  and  neglect,  and  arrived  in 
Paris  about  the  middle  of  October. 

When  I presented  myself  at  the  police,  selon  les  regies , 
to  obtain  my  carte  de  residence , I first  offered  a German 
passport ; as  soon  as  the  clerk  observed  my  name,  he 
asked  sharply,  “ JSHttiez  vous  pas  a Calais , il  y a quelques 
“ semcdnes  ?”  (Was  you  not  at  Calais,  a few  weeks  ago?) 

“ Oui , citoyen”  (Yes,  citizen.) 

“ Et,  an  nom  du  diable , comment  est  ce  que  vous  etes  ici?” 
(And  in  the  devil’s  name,  how  did  you  get  here  ?) 

“ En  vertu  de  ce  passeport,  de  votre  ministre  a la  Hague” 
— (by  virtue  of  this  passport  of  your  minister  at  the 
Hague) — producing  it.  He  looked  at  it  carefully,  and 
then  turning  to  the  clerk  on  his  right,  and  shewing  it  to 
him,  he  said,  “ Le  bete,  il  fait  toujour s des  sottises”  (The 
blockhead,  he  is  always  committing  blunders.) 

I obtained,  however,  my  carte  de  residence,  but  it  was 
evident  that  I was  remembered,  and  that  the  suspicions 
of  1795  and  ’6,  were  not  done  away. 

I immediately  set  about  concluding  my  commercial  affairs, 
and  visited  the  American  X,  Y,  Z negotiators,  Pinckney, 
Marshall  and  Gerry.  The  next  morning  I was  surprised 
to  receive  a visit  from  a French  gentleman,  M.  D’Haute- 
val,  whom  P had  known  some  years  before  as  consul  at 
Boston.  After  the  first  compliments  of  recognition,  he 
asked  if  I had  yet  seen  the  minister. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


223 


“ What  minister,  sir  V9 
“ Oh,  M.  Talleyrand,  to  be  sure.” 

“ No,  sir ; I wrote  to  him  some  weeks  since,  and  having 
“ received  no  answer,  I concluded  that  he  did  not  wish  to 
“ recognize  me,  and  that  it  would  be  thought  impertinent 
“ in  me  to  visit  him.” 

“ Oh,  no  ; on  the  contrary,  he  will  be  happy  to  see  you ; 
“ I have  just  been  with  him,  and  he  told  me  so.” 

“ In  that  case,  I will  wait  upon  him  without  delay.” 

I went  therefore,  was  admitted,  received  with  great 
civility,  and  invited  to  dine.  I accepted  the  invitation, 
went,  found  the  company  small — among  them  Madame  de 
Stael,  Lucien  Buonaparte,  Count  Lorigey,  &,c.  During 
the  dinner,  Madame  de  Stael  attempted  to  engage  me  in 
a conversation  on  the  subject  of  American  affairs,  but  the 
minister  cut  her  short  with,  “ Mais , Madame  de  Stael , on 
“ ne  politique  pas  igi”  (But,  Madame  de  Stael,  nobody 
talks  politics  here.) 

I conversed  with  Lucien  Buonaparte,  at  whose  right 
hand  I was  seated,  on  the  subject  of  his  brother’s  won- 
derful success — the  bridges  of  Lodi,  Areola,  &c.  To- 
wards the  close  of  the  dinner,  a continued  regular  firing 
of  cannon  was  heard ; all  were  anxious  to  know  the  cause. 
The  minister  coolly  replied,  “ On  annonce  le  traite  de 
“ Campo  Formio .”  (To  announce  the  treaty  of  Campo 
Formio.) 

I hurried  the  settlement  of  my  business,  occasionally 
seeing  the  American  ministers,  and  learning  from  them 
the  strange  state  of  their  affairs.  I also  occasionally  saw 
the  ministers  of  several  small  German  states,  all  trembling 
for  their  future  existence,  and  endeavoring  fo  avert  the 
impending  danger,  and  learned  from  them  all,  that  the 
permission  even  to  speak  of  negotiation,  could  be  obtained 


224 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


only  by  the  previous  payment  of  sums  proportioned  to 
their  ability  to  pay.  Such  was  then  the  general  system- 
not  confined  to  us,  but  universal. 

Having  closed  my  financial  and  commercial  concerns,  I 
applied  at  the  police  for  a passport,  to  leave  Paris  and 
France,  but  met  with  delays,  which  satisfied  me.  that  my 
first  reception  was  but  the  omen  of  coming  evil.  I was 
referred  from  day  to  day,  and  from  office  to  office,  until  I 
began  to  be  alarmed.  The  1st  of  November  was  at  hand, 
on  which  day  I ought  to  be  in  London.  In  this  embar- 
rassment, I applied  to  the  American  ministers  for  advice 
and  protection,  and  was  answered  by  Gen.  Pinckney, 
“ My  friend,  I know  not  what  to  advise  ; we  have  no 
“ means  of  aiding  you,  we  cannot  even  protect  ourselves  ; 
“ so  far  from  it,  indeed,  that  1 shall  not  be  at  all  surprised, 
“ if  within  thirty  six  hours,  we  should  all  meet  in  the 
“ temple.” 

Having  nothing  further  to  hope  here,  I resolved  on  try- 
ing the  influence  of  M.  Talleyrand.  I went  at  once  to  his 
office — he  was  there — and  I was  immediately  admitted  to  a 
tete-a-tete  interview,  in  his  private  bureau.  He  received  me 
with  great  politeness,  and  immediately  began  to  talk  of  the 
American  negotiation,  as  if  I was  intimately  connected 
with  it.  This  I denied,  assuring  him  that  I had  no  man- 
ner of  connection  with  it,  nor  any  other  knowledge  of  its 
progress  or  state  than  was  common  to  the  public.  He 
next  alluded  very  distinctly  to  the  necessity  of  the  employ- 
ment of  money,  to  which  I replied,  “ Sir,  you  have  been  in 
“ America,  and  know  the  constitution  of  the  United  States, 
“ probably  better  than  I do.  You  must  know,  that  the 
“ ministers  can  take  no  important  step  which  is  not  pre- 
“ scribed  by  their  instructions,  and  I can  hardly  imagine 
“ that  the  government  of  the  United  States  could  have 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


225 


cc  anticipated  the  necessity  of  employing  money  to  facili- 
“ tate  this  negotiation.”  The  minister  listened  to  this 
answer  with  evident  impatience,  and  exclaimed,  (striking 
the  table  violently  at  the  same  time,)  “ Metis,  il  le  faat, 
“ Monsieur”  (But  they  must,  sir.)  I endeavored  to  keep 
my  countenance,  and  replied  with  a smile,  “ That  is  their 
“ affair ; I am  happy  to  repeat,  that  it  is  no  concern  of 
“ mine.” 

From  the  strange  turn  and  result  of  this  conversation, 
it  was  manifest  that  I had  nothing  to  hope  from  that  quar- 
ter, and  therefore  I rose  to  take  my  leave.  The  minister 
resumed  his  usual  calm,  cold  manner,  accompanied  me  to 
the  door,  and  as  I was  about  to  open  it,  said,  in  his  softest 
tone,  “ Mais,  comment  se  porte  Hamilton ?”  (But,  how 
is  Hamilton  ?)  This  was  the  only  inquiry  he  made  for 
any  of  those  from  whom  he  had  received  such  unbounded 
civilities  in  the  United  States. 

I withdrew,  and  with  a heavy  heart  went  again  to  the 
police,  where  I was  told,  with  an  air  of  solemn  politeness, 
“ Si  le  citoyen  veut  bien  monter  le  grand  escalier,  en  entrant 
“ la  premiere  porte  a droite,  il  trouvera  Vhomme  qui  fera  son 
“ affaire .”  (If  the  citizen  will  be  so  good  as  to  walk  up 
the  grand  staircase,  and  enter  the  first  door  on  his  right 
hand,  he  will  there  find  the  man  who  will  do  his  busi- 
ness.) 

I mounted  the  grand  staircase,  entered  the  first  door  on 
my  right,  and  there,  in  a large  low  entresol,  found  one  old 
man  sitting  at  a desk,  in  a corner  of  the  room,  whose 
appearance  at  once  suggested  the  idea  of  a solitary  spider 
watching  for  flies.  As  I entered,  he  looked  up  from  the 
the  desk  before  him,  and  accosted  me  with  “ Que  veux-tu, 
“ citoyen  ?”  (What  would  you,  citizen  ?) 

29 


226 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


My  reply  was,  “ Un  passeport,  pour  aller  a Calais , et 
“ m?y  embarquer  pour  Hambourg ” (A  passport  to  go  to 
Calais,  and  there  to  embark  for  Hamburg.) 

“ Et  ton  nom  ?”  (And  thy  name  ?) 

I told  him.  He  looked  carefully  at  a paper  before  him, 
and  with  a look,  and  in  a snuffling,  sneering  tone  of  voice, 
which  it  is  impossible  ever  to  forget,  returned,  “ Ah,  on  te 
“ connait  tres  bien  igi” — (ah,  you  are  very  well  known 
here) — and  resumed  his  pen. 

I had  now  my  definitive  answer  from  the  police ; it  was 
manifest  that  this  man  had  before  him  the  list  of  those,  who, 
in  the  phraseology  of  the  day,  were  to  be  garde  a vue, 
that  is,  to  be  kept  always  in  sight,  and  that  my  name  was 
upon  that  list. 

I descended  the  grand  escalier,  (great  staircase,)  with 
heart  and  foot  heavier  than  when  I mounted  it.  I endeav- 
ored to  recollect  some  one  whom  I had  formerly  known,  to 
whom  I could  look  for  aid  in  this  extremity.  The  name 
of  David  flashed  upon  my  mind.  His  intimate  connection 
with  Robespierre,  in  the  most  horrid  period  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, had  hitherto  deterred  me  from  making  any  attempt 
to  renew  my  former  acquaintance  with  him ; but  now  my 
situation  appeared  to  be  desperate,  and  he  the  only  person 
of  my  acquaintance  in  France,  from  whom  I could  flatter 
myself  with  any  hope  of  assistance.  I therefore  went  to 
his  apartments  in  the  Louvre,  found  him  at  home,  was  in- 
stantly recognized,  and  very  cordially  received,  although 
many  years  had  elapsed  since  we  had  met.  He  immedi- 
ately inquired  about  my  picture  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  Mr.  Mul- 
ler, and  the  engraving.  I told  him  that  I had  been  at 
Stutgard,  that  the  plate  was  finished  to  my  entire  satis- 
faction, that  I had  both  plate  and  painting  with  me,  and 
was  on  my  way  to  London  for  the  purpose  of  printing  and 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


227 


publication,  but  found  very  unexpected  difficulty  in  ob- 
taining a passport  to  proceed,  and  asked  him  if  he  knew 
the  minister  of  police,  and  could  give  me  any  assistance. 
He  replied  that  he  did  not  know  the  present  minister — 
“but  I know  his  secretary,  and  that  may  do  as  well.  Go 
“ to  your  hotel,  my  friend,  get  the  picture,  and  return  with 
“ it.  In  the  mean  time,  I will  change  my  dress  and  go  with 
“ you  to  the  police,  et  nous  verrons,  ce  tableau-la  vaut  bien 
“ des  passeports”  (and  we  will  see — that  picture  is  worth  a 
multitude  of  passports.) 

I did  so,  returned,  and  he  entered  the  carriage  with  me. 
In  our  short  drive  to  the  office  of  the  police,  the  conversa- 
tion turned  naturally  upon  the  strange  events  which  had 
occurred  in  Paris  since  our  first  acquaintance.  “ True,” 
said  he,  “ much  blood  has  been  shed,  but  it  would  have 
“ been  well  for  the  republic,  if  five  hundred  thousand  more 
“ heads  had  passed  under  the  guillotine.”  I shuddered — 
and  this,  thought  I,  is  the  only  man  on  earth  to  whom  I 
can  now  look  for  assistance  in  a case  which  involves  the 
question  of  imprisonment  or  death. 

We  arrived  at  the  police,  and,  anxious  as  I was,  I could 
not  but  be  struck  with  the  ludicrous  effect  produced  upon 
the  crowd  of  clerks,  (to  whom  I was  by  this  time  well 
known,)  when  they  saw  me  again  enter,  the  Bon  Citoyen 
David*  leaning  familiarly  upon  my  arm — he  had  broken 
the  tendo  Achillis , and  was  lame  of  one  leg. 

He  asked,  in  the  tone  of  a master,  for  the  secretary’s 
room ; we  were  shewn  in,  and  he  immediately  entered 
upon  my  cause.  “I  have  known  Mr.  Trumbull  these  ten 
“ years — I know  him  to  be  an  American,  and  opposed  to  the 
“ English  in  their  war.  Je  vous  en  reponds  ; il  est  bon  revo- 


* “Bon  Citoyen ” was,  during  the  revolution,  the  favorite  title  of  honor. 


228 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ lutionnaire  tout  comme  nous  autres” — (I  answer  for  him ; 
he  is  as  good  a revolutionist  as  we  are,) — horrid  encomium 
from  such  lips.  “He  saw  the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  and 
“ has  painted  a fine  picture  of  it — here  it  is.  II  est  grand 
“ artiste , et  on  fait  mat  de  le  retenir  dans  ses  occupations 
“ actuellement  paisibles  des  arts.,f  (He  is  a great  artist,  and 
it  is  wrong  to  interrupt  him  in  his  present  peaceful  occu- 
pations of  the  arts.)  This  plea  from  the  Sieur  David  was 
irresistible  ; the  secretary  looked  at  the  painting — admired 
it — regretted  that  my  character  had  been  so  misrepresent- 
ed and  misunderstood — I should  have  a passport  immedi- 
ately. “ But,  sir,  I must  first  present  you  to  the  minister ; 
“ he  will  be  pleased  to  be  undeceived — to  see  you  and 
“ your  picture.” 

We  were  shown  into  the  minister’s  room,  and  presented 
to  him.  The  same  eulogy  from  David,  the  same  approba- 
tion of  the  painting,  and  an  immediate  order  for  the  pass- 
port— the  minister  adding,  with  a most  courteous  smile,  “ I 
“ am  half  disposed,  however,  to  use  the  power  which  I pos- 
“ sess,  and  to  retain  in  the  service  of  the  republic,  un  artiste 
“ de  tant  de  talent ,”  (an  artist  of  so  much  talent.)  The  pass- 
port was  immediately  prepared,  and  I left  the  office  of  po- 
lice in  triumph,  returned  the  most  sincere  thanks  to  my 
friend  David,  took  leave  of  him  and  his  family,  ordered 
post-horses,  and  was  instantly  upon  the  road  for  London. 

Here  let  me  pause  a moment,  upon  the  character  of  the 
man  from  whom  I had  just  received  such  an  inestimable 
service.  David  was  naturally  a kind  and  warm-hearted 
man,  but  ardent,  sometimes  even  violent,  in  his  feelings  ; 
an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  Roman  republic,  and  of  all 
the  illustrious  characters  of  Rome,  he  most  admired  the 
elder  Brutus,  who  had  sacrificed  his  two  sons  for  the  good 
of  his  country.  He  had  painted  a fine  picture  of  this  sub- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


229 


ject,  and  had  wrought  up  his  own  feelings  to  the  belief 
that  all  which  was  otherwise  dear  must  be  sacrificed  to  our 
country.  When  the  Revolution  commenced  in  France, 
he  took  the  popular  side,  devoted  all  the  energy  of  his 
character  to  the  establishment  of  a republic,  (that  favorite 
phantom  of  the  age,)  and  had  brought  himself  to  the  full 
belief,  that  the  blood  of  individuals  was  of  no  more  value 
than  water,  in  comparison  with  the  success  of  his  favorite 
theory.  This  gave  to  his  public  life  the  imprint  of  a fero- 
cious monster,  while,  as  a private  individual,  his  primitive 
character  of  kindliness  resumed  its  sway.  No  man  could 
be  more  kind  and  amiable  in  his  family;  no  man  could 
have  taken  a deeper  or  more  ardent  interest  in  the  dangers 
of  another,  than  he  had  done  in  mine,  although  not  other- 
wise connected  with  me  than  as  an  acquaintance  and  a 
brother  artist. 

The  1st  of  November  was  but  to-morrow,  and  I resolved 
to  travel  day  and  night,  that  I might  reach  London  as  little 
after  my  time  as  possible. 

At  St.  Dennis,  the  first  stage  from  Paris,  I stopped  to 
change  horses,  and  as  I drove  up  to  the  post-house,  I 
observed  that  the  yard  was  unusually  crowded  ; and  among 
others,  a tall,  gaunt,  Don  Quixotte  looking  man,  in  cavalry 
uniform,  with  a sabre  proportioned  to  himself,  whose  glit- 
tering steel  scabbard  clanked  upon  the  pavement,  as  he 
stalked  up  to  my  carriage,  and  leaning  his  arm  familiarly 
upon  the  door,  (the  glass  was  down,)  he  looked  in  and 
said,  Le  citoyen  est  seul, — (citizen,  you  are  alone,) — in  the 
quaint  laconic  language  of  the  day.  Comme  vous  voyez , 
citoyen , — (as  you  see,  sir,) — was  the  equally  concise  reply, 
while  my  fears,  not  fully  lulled,  from  the  late  scenes, 
whispered  to  me, — here  is  a new  trap ; this  man  is  posted 
here  to  intercept  jne,  and  examine  my  papers,  in  the  hope 


230 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


of  finding  some  important  communications  relative  to  the 
negotiation,  from  the  American  ministers  to  Mr.  King  in 
London,  or  to  the  government  in  America. 

“ Are  you  going  to  Chantilly  V 9 was  the  next  question 
of  my  spectre  neighbor. 

“ Yes.” 

“ Will  you  give  me  the  vacant  seat  in  your  carriage  ?” 

I glanced  my  eye  at  the  irresistible  sabre,  and  answered, 
“ Willingly,  sir.” 

As  he  opened  the  door  to  enter,  he  said,  “I  have  been 
“ too  abrupt,  I should  have  given  the  reason  for  my  re- 
“ quest.  I command  a detachment  of  cavalry,  which  is 
“ stationed  at  Chantilly,  for  the  protection  of  public  car- 
“ riages,  and  of  travellers  generally,  from  a banditti  who 
“ infest  the  forest,  and  have  lately  committed  several  atro- 
“ cious  robberies.  I have  been  into  Paris  this  morning, 
“ on  business,  and  have  lamed  my  favorite  horse,  which  will 
“ be  ruined  if  I ride  him  any  further.  I must  not  be 
“ absent  from  my  post  a night,  and  had  been  watching 
“ some  time  for  the  arrival  of  some  traveller,  from  whom 
“ I might  ask  a ride,  when  you  drove  up,  and  I thank  you 
“ for  your  kindness.” 

I breathed  more  freely.  He  took  his  seat,  and  appeared 
to  be  a plain  blunt  soldier. 

“ You  will  stop  at  Chantilly  ?”.said  he. 

“ It  is  not  my  intention  ; I am  in  haste,  and  mean  to 
“ travel  post,  night  and  day.” 

“ You  are  going  to  Calais  ?” 

“ Yes.” 

“You  are  an  Englishman?” 

“ No,  an  American  of  the  United  States.” 

“ But  your  carriage  is  English  ; you  are  going  to  Lon- 
“ don  ?” 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


231 


“ True,  and  impatient  to  get  on.” 

“ You  cannot  go  on  to-night;  you  must  stop  at  Chan- 
“ tilly,  and  sup  with  me,  for  the  forest  is  dangerous,  and 
“my  men  are  harassed,  so  that  I cannot  give  you  an 
“ escort  until  morning.” 

Again  my  heart  beat  quick.  I was  completely  in  the 
power  of  this  man — there  was  no  possibility  of  escape — 
he  would  execute  his  commission  at  his  leisure,  and  search 
me  in  his  own  quarters,  surrounded  by  his  troops. 

We  drove  on,  and  after  a short  silence  he  abruptly 
asked,  “ Do  you  know  the  Prince  de  Poix  in  London  ?” 

“ I have  seen  him.” 

“ He  is  a great  fool,”  exclaimed  he.  “ He  commanded 
“ a company  of  the  royal  guard,  in  which  I was  a private 
“ soldier ; he  emigrated,  and  I command  in  his  place. 
“ Was  not  that  folly  ?” 

Again  I began  to  be  reassured,  and  to  believe  that  he 
was  indeed  an  honest,  blunt,  heels-over-head  soldier.  We 
rode  on,  and  all  his  conversation  was  in  the  same  heedless 
style ; and  I recovered  my  tranquillity,  though  vexed  at 
the  unavoidable  delay. 

We  reached  Chantilly  early  in  the  evening,  and  he 
hurried  to  his  quarters,  promising  to  return  in  half  an  hour 
to  supper.  This  he  did,  and  we  supped  together  most 
amicably  and  cheerfully.  At  length,  he  asked  at  what 
hour  I chose  to  proceed  in  the  morning,  and  receiving  for 
answer,  “ at  daylight,” 

“ Bon,  a Vaube  du  jour  vous  entendrez  sonner  le  bugle  de 
“ votre  escorte,  dessous  votre  fenetre .”  (Well,  at  daybreak 
we  shall  sound  the  bugle  for  your  escort,  under  your 
window.) 

We  separated  in  mutual  good  humor.  I ordered  horses 
to  be  put  to  my  carriage  at  daybreak,  retired,  and  slept 


232 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


with  some  composure,  after  the  various  agitations  of  the 
day.  With  the  early  dawn,  I was  up  and  dressing,  when 
the  bugle  sounded  under  my  window,  as  promised.  I 
mounted  my  carriage  and  drove  off,  under  the  escort  of 
ten  as  fine  hussars  as  I ever  saw.  A few  hours  carried  us 
through  the  forest,  without  any  adventure,  and  the  sub- 
officer and  guard  took  their  leave,  en  militaire , wishing  me 
a pleasant  journey. 

My  object  now  was  to  arrive  at  Calais,  if  possible, 
before  the  post  from  Paris,  for  I felt  myself  on  the  crater 
of  a volcano,  and  after  the  experience  of  the  last  few 
weeks,  could  not  divest  myself  of  the  apprehension,  that 
some  capricious  change  of  opinion  might  yet  produce  an 
order  to  arrest  me,  before  I could  embark.  I therefore 
hurried  on,  drove  to  the  hotel  ci-devant  de  Dessein , and 
inquired  of  Quillac,  if  there  wTas  any  packet  for  Dover 
in  port. 

“No,  there  is  one  just  arrived  in  the  road,  but  she 
“ cannot  come  into  the  port  this  afternoon,  as  it  is  low 
“ water.” 

“ If  she  comes  in,  will  it  be  possible  for  her  to  get  out 
“ to-morrow  morning,  before  the  arrival  of  the  post  V9 

“ No.” 

“ Then  send  on  board,  and  desire  the  captain  not  to 
“ come  in,  but  to  be  ready  to  receive  me  where  he  lies, 
“ and  to  sail  very  early  in  the  morning.” 

“ But,  sir,  that  will  cost  you  dear.” 

“No  matter  for  the  expense,  I am  in  haste ; here  is  my 
“passport  from  the  police  at  Paris,  to  embark — engage 
“ the  vessel  at  any  price.” 

The  bargain  was  made  at  seventy  guineas,  a part  of 
which  was  however  saved,  by  permitting  several  passen- 
gers, who  were  waiting,  to  embark  with  me.  We  were 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


233 


on  board  early,  sailed  with  a fair  wind  and  tide,  and  in  a 
few  hours  I found  myself  safe  on  British  ground.  Never, 
in  my  long  life,  have  I experienced  more  heartfelt  satisfac- 
tion, than  I did  on  feeling  that  I was  out  of  the  reach  of 
such  a sanguinary  and  capricious  government,  as  was  that 
of  France  at  the  time  of  my  late  visit  to  the  continent. 

I reached  London  the  next  morning,  bade  a long  fare- 
well to  dangerous  adventures,  and  returned  to  the  sober 
quiet  duties  of  the  commission. 


30 


234 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Age,  46  to  47 — 1798  to  1799 — 1 year. 

Reference  to  the  treaty — A commission  named  to  consider  the  complaints 
of  the  British  government — Mr.  McDonald  and  Mr.  Rich  sail  from 
England,  1797 — Commence  labors  in  Philadelphia — Early  and  insu- 
perable difficulties — Result  in  dissolution  of  the  commission,  and  ref- 
erence of  the  whole  question  to  negotiation — Letter  to  Mr.  King,  the 
American  minister — Statement  of  Mr.  Cabot  of  the  ultimate  result  of 
the  labors  of  the  commission — Commission  closed  in  May,  1804 — Con- 
duct of  one  of  the  commissioners  in  not  defending  his  great  bene- 
factor, Judge  Chase,  when  accused  of  high  treason — Mr.  Gore’s  con- 
duct approved  by  his  state,  of  which  he  was  made  governor — My  polit- 
ical, as  well  as  military  glory  departed. 


Referring  to  the  twelfth  chapter  of  this  work,  it  will 
be  observed,  that  the  third  difficulty  attending  the  negotia- 
tion of  Mr.  Jay,  was  a complaint  by  the  British  govern- 
ment, “that  several  of  the  American  states  had  withheld  the 
“ settlement  and  payment  of  debts  contracted  with  British 
“ subjects  before  the  Revolution,  in  contradiction  to  the 
“ stipulation  of  the  treaty  of  peace  of  1 783.” 

This  subject  of  complaint  was,  by  the  treaty  of  Novem- 
ber, 1794,  referred  to  a commission,  to  be  formed  on  the 
same  principles  as  that  under  the  seventh  article  of  the 
same ; and  accordingly,  the  two  gentlemen  appointed  by 
Great  Britain,  Mr.  McDonald  and  Mr.  Rich,  sailed  from 
England  for  America  early  in  the  winter  of  1796-7,  and 
soon  after  their  arrival  the  commission  was  organized,  and 
commenced  their  labors  in  Philadelphia.  Differences  of 
opinion  on  important  questions  soon  manifested  themselves 
in  their  case,  as  they  had  done  in  ours,  and  resulted  more 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


235 


seriously ; insomuch  that  the  commission,  finding  it  impos- 
sible to  agree,  even  upon  first  principles,  dissolved  itself, 
and  the  question  came  back  to  the  two  nations  as  a renew- 
ed source  of  dispute  and  negotiation. 

One  of  the  first  consequences  of  this  dissolution,  was 
the  suspension,  by  the  British  government,  of  the  commis- 
sion acting  in  execution  of  the  seventh  article  of  the  exist- 
ing treaty  ; and  this  produced  a request  from  the  minister 
of  the  United  States  in  London,  Rufus  King,  Esq.,  “ that 
“ the  commission  would  furnish  him  with  a statement  of 
“ the  business  before  the  board.”  In  reply  to  this  request, 
by  the  direction  of  the  board,  I wrote  to  him  the  following 
letter,  which  I find  recorded  in  my  letter-book  of  the  date. 

72  Welbeck  Street,  London,  Nov.  16th,  1799. 

Rufus  King,  Esq.,  &c.  &c. 

Dear  Sir — Mr.  Gore  is  so  good  as  to  take  charge  of 
this  packet,  which  contains  statements  in  detail  of  all  the 
business  which  has  come  before  the  commissioners  acting 
under  the  seventh  article  of  the  treaty,  between  the  United 
States  of  America  and  the  government  of  Great  Britain. 

You  will  find  noted  therein  every  case,  with  its  actual 
state,  whether  decided  or  not ; together  with  the  amount 
of  sums  claimed,  whether  refused,  or  pending,  or  awarded 
in  each ; and  thinking  that  these  statements  would  be 
imperfect,  unless  they  were  accompanied  with  a general 
abstract  of  the  whole,  I have  endeavored  to  prepare  one, 
in  such  a manner  as  to  place  the  great  outlines  of  the 
business  under  the  eye  at  one  glance.  From  this  you 
will  be  pleased  to  observe,  that  the  number  and  amount 
of  the  American  claims  dismissed  by  the  board,  nearly 
equal  those  in  which  favorable  awards  have  been  the  result 
of  careful  examination.  You  will  also  observe,  that  the 


236 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


aggregate  sum  finally  awarded  to  American  claimants, 
including  interest  and  law  expenses,  falls  very  far  short  of 
the  sums  claimed,  although  neither  interest  nor  expenses 
are  generally  included  in  these  claims.  You  will  also 
please  to  observe,  that  on  the  contrary,  in  such  claims  by 
British  subjects  against  the  American  government,  as  the 
board  has  hitherto  considered  as  within  their  cognizance, 
and  in  which  favorable  decisions  have  been  made,  the 
sums  awarded  considerably  exceed  the  sums  claimed; 
which  excess  arises  from  the  interest  (which  generally  is  not 
included  in  the  claim)  having  been  allowed  in  the  awards. 

In  that  paper  which  contains  the  details  of  cases  dismis- 
sed, you  will  also  find  noted,  in  many  instances,  the  reasons 
which  the  board  were  pleased  to  assign  for  such  dismissals, 
and  which  will  show  how  very  different  the  principles  which 
have  governed  many  of  those  decisions  are,  from  those 
which  appear  to  have  been  adopted  in  Philadelphia. 

In  some  important  cases  of  award,  as  well  as  of  dis- 
missal, the  different  opinions  filed  by  the  several  members 
of  the  board,  are  referred  to ; and  I trust  that  the  plain 
result  of  the  whole  will  be,  that  the  business,  as  far  as  it 
has  been  suffered  to  proceed,  has  not  been  conducted 
with  negligence  or  with  partiality. 

Abstract  of  claims  decided  by,  or  depending  upon  the  decision  of 
the  board  of  commissioners , acting  under  the  seventh  article  of 
the  treaty  between  the  United  States  of  America,  and  his  Bri- 
tannic Majesty  ; collected  from  the  detailed  official  statements. 

AMERICAN  CLAIMS. 


Cases. 

Amount  of  claims. 

Amount  of  awards. 

Dismissed, 

37 

£72,864  12s.  0 d. 

Withdrawn, 

7 

Depending, 

393 

1,307,497  12  3 

Awarded, 

41 

129,968  16  2 

91,358  17s.  11  %A. 

478 

£1,510,331  0 5 

£91,358  17  Ilf 

LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


237 


BRITISH 

CL  AIMS. 

Cases. 

Amount  of  claims. 

Amount  of  awards. 

Dismissed, 

10 

£107,993 

145.  2 id. 

Depending, 

43 

256,531 

00  0 

Awarded, 

5 

6,733 

9 2 

£7,558 

155. 

9< 

58 

£371,258 

3 4j- 

£7,558 

15 

9 

Total,  536  cases. 


From  which  it  appears,  that  the  American  claims  which  have 
been  decided, 

Amount  to  £72,864  12 s.  0 d. 

And  - 129,968  16  2 

£202,833  85.  2 d. 

Of  which  were  granted,  £91,358  17s.  Ilf d. 

Dismissed,  - - 111,474  10  2J 

£202,833  85.  2d, 

Copy  sent  to  Mr.  King,  the  American  minister,  enclosed 
in  the  foregoing  letter ; and  also  copies  to  Mr.  Gore  and 
Mr.  Pinckney,  the  American  commissioners. 

John  Trumbull. 

November  1 6th,  1799. 

At  the  close  of  the  second  volume  of  opinions,  recorded 
by  members  of  the  board  on  various  questions,  which  is  in 
my  possession,  I find  also  a statement,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  a copy. 

“Mr.  Samuel  Cabot,  who  was  one  of  the  assessors  of 
“ the  board,  and  who,  from  his  other  relations  to  the  claims 
“ of  American  citizens  for  compensation,  on  account  of 
“captures  by  British  cruisers,  previous  to  the  treaty  of 
“ 1794,  had  an  intimate  knowledge  of  all  that  was  claimed 
“ and  paid,  states  the  amount  awarded  by  the  board,  and 


238 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ paid  by  the  British  government,  to  have  been  in  pounds 
“ sterling,  - <£1,350,000 

“Amounts  recovered  from  the  captors, 

“ on  what  were  called  Martinique  cases, 

“meaning  captures  in  the  West  Indies, 

“Amounts  produced  to  claimants  from 
“ other  cases  of  restitution, 

“ That  the  vessels  captured,  under  what 
“ were  called  “ provision  orders”  viz.  or- 
“ ders  to  capture  vessels  bound  to  France, 

“ and  laden  with  provisions,  were  in  num- 
“ ber  one  hundred  and  twenty,  and  that 
“ there  must  have  been  received  from  the 
“ British  government,  at  least  <£6,000  each,  720,000 

<£2,330,000 

Amount  in  dollars,  allowing  five  dollars  to  the  pound 
sterling,  - $11,650,000 

This  was  the  statement  of  Mr.  Cabot,  whose  accuracy 
and  knowledge  on  this  subject,  were  beyond  all  doubt. 
This  amount  of  money  may  be  justly  considered  as  some 
of  the  fruits  of  Mr.  Jay’s  treaty,  and  this  was  the  result 
of  my  voice,  for  I do  not  recollect  that  a single  case  of 
American  claims  was  favorably  decided,  without  the  vote 
of  the  fifth  commissioner. 

From  the  foregoing  statement  it  appears,  that  the  large 
sum  of  eleven  millions  six  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars, was  recovered  by  American  citizens  from  the  hands 
of  British  captors,  by,  or  in  consequence  of,  the  abused 
treaty  of  1794,  negotiated  by  Mr.  Jay.  The  whole  of  this 
sum  was  promptly  and  punctually  paid  to  each  complain- 
ant, or  his  assignee;  for,  after  a careful  and  accurate 


100,000 

160,000 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


239 


examination  of  the  merits  of  every  case  of  complaint,  the 
awards  of  the  board  were  made  in  favor  of  each  individual, 
in  the  form  of  an  order  to  pay,  and  payable  at  the  treasury 
of  Great  Britain ; nor  do  I recollect  even  to  have  heard 
a single  complaint,  of  the  delay  of  an  hour,  in  any  instance 
of  an  award  presented  for  payment. 

We  all  remember  the  parade  and  triumph  which  took 
place,  a few  years  since,  when  the  president  whom  the 
people  delighted  to  honor  as  the  greatest  and  best,  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  from  the  government  of  France,  the 
reluctant  payment  of  five  millions  of  dollars.  But  John  Jay 
was  not  Andrew  Jackson  ; nor  was  Great  Britain  like  our 
great  and  good  ally,  the  republican  kingdom  of  France. 
Let  those  who  have  eyes  to  see,  and  ears  to  hear,  both 
see,  and  hear,  and  understand ; and  let  the  blind  continue 
to  lead  the  blind,  until  they  fall  into  the  ditch  of  ruin  and 
disgrace  together. 

The  commission  proceeded  to  this  result,  with  no  farther 
important  interruption,  until  its  termination  in  the  spring 
of  1804,  at  which  time  the  business  was  concluded, 
and  the  commission,  having  fulfilled  all  its  duties,  was 
dissolved. 

The  commissioners  of  each  nation  made  a full  report  of 
the  proceedings  and  acts  of  the  board  to  the  respective 
governments  by  which  they  had  been  appointed,  accom- 
panied by  copies  of  the  journal,  and  of  all  important  written 
documents.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  that  those  which  were 
deposited  in  the  hands  of  the  British  government,  have 
been  carefully  preserved,  and  still  exist ; for,  it  is  known, 
on  the  other  hand,  that  those  which  were  placed  by  the 
American  commissioners  in  the  hands  of  the  secretary  of 
state,  were  deposited  by  him  in  one  of  those  public  offices 
of  the  government,  at  the  city  of  Washington,  which,  soon 


240 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


after,  was  destroyed  by  fire ; and  it  is  understood,  that 
thus,  all  official  records  of  the  proceedings  of  this  very 
important  commission  (in  America)  have  been  swept  into 
oblivion. 

Nor,  can  I find  that  any  notice  of  the  closing  of  this 
commission,  or  of  the  very  important  extent  and  happy 
result  of  its  labors,  was  ever  made  to  the  government  and 
people  by  the  president  of  the  United  States,  whether  in 
his  annual  message  to  Congress,  or  in  any  special  one ; 
for,  it  did  not  consist  with  the  political  views  and  princi- 
ples of  an  administration  which  openly  avowed  its  hostility 
to  the  treaty  which  had  been  negotiated  by  Mr.  Jay,  to 
publish  to  the  world  the  result  of  an  article  so  important 
to  the  commercial  prosperity,  and  to  the  honor  of  the 
nation,  and  the  decisions  under  which  had  such  an  import- 
ant bearing  upon  the  future  construction  of  maritime  inter- 
national law. 

It  therefore  appeared  to  me  proper,  that  the  only  Amer- 
ican who  survives,  of  those  who  were  employed  on  that 
important  occasion,  should  endeavor  to  redeem  such  trans- 
actions, in  some  degree,  from  utter  oblivion ; and  I have 
been  fortunate  after  so  many  years,  in  finding,  in  my 
possession,  such  a mass  of  manuscripts,  of  the  time,  as 
have  enabled  me  to  make  the  foregoing  statements,  not 
as  random  assertions,  depending  for  their  authenticity 
upon  the  correctness  of  memory,  but  from  existing  doc- 
uments. 

It  is  a fact  of  public  notoriety,  that  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners, who  received  his  legal  education  from  the  care 
and  bounty  of  Judge  Chase  of  Baltimore,  whose  talents 
and  success  in  life  did  honor  to  the  discrimination  and 
kindness  of  the  Judge,  and  who  for  a time  boasted  to 
have  derived  his  learning  and  his  political  as  well  as  legal 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


241 


principles  from  that  source,  did  not  assist  in  the  defense 
of  the  Judge,  when,  immediately  after  the  conclusion  of 
the  labors  of  the  ccmmission,  he  (the  Judge)  fell  under 
the  wrath  of  the  administration,  and  was  brought  to  trial 
on  the  accusation  of  high  treason,  for  having,  in  his  judi- 
cial character,  carried  into  execution,  in  certain  cases,  the 
provisions  of  the  Alien  and  Sedition  law.  The  trial  of 
the  Judge  took  place  before  the  senate  of  the  United 
States,  the  highest  tribunal  of  the  nation,  and  the  audience 
consisted  of  all  that  was  learned  and  eminent,  thus  offer- 
ing the  finest  imaginable  opportunity  for  the  display  of 
that  eloquence,  in  which  it  was  the  just  object  of  that 
gentleman’s  'ambition  to  shine.  This  act,  or  rather  this 
declining  to  act,  according  to  the  dictates  of  gratitude, 
met  the  approbation  of  the  existing  powers,  and  the  gen- 
tleman received  eminent  proofs  of  that  approbation,  in 
successive  appointments  to  the  embassy  to  Great  Britain, 
to  Naples,  and  to  Russia,  each  accompanied  by  the  usual 
gratuity  of  nine  thousand  dollars  for  outfit,  and  nine  thou- 
sand a year  salary. 

Perhaps  no  brighter  example  can  be  produced  of  the 
application  of  that  admirable  rule  of  modern  republican 
policy,  which  teaches  “ to  reward  your  friends,  and  punish 
“ your  enemies a rule,  the  neglect  of  which,  more  per- 
haps than  any  other  one  cause,  occasioned  the  downfall 
of  the  administration  of  John  Q.  Adams ; a rule  which, 
from  the  days  of  Washington  and  of  the  first  Adams,  and 
since,  (with  the  solitary  exception  of  his  son,)  has  been 
regularly  practiced,  until  it  has  resolved  itself  into  a still 
more  simple  aphorism,  which  has  been  formally  announced 
in  the  senate  of  the  United  States,  “ that  to  the  victors 
“belong  the  spoils.” 


31 


242 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


The  other  American  commissioner,  as  well  as  the  fifth, 
was  too  deeply  steeped  in  the  unpardonable  sin  of  feder- 
alism, to  be  smiled  upon  by  the  ruling  powers  of  that  day. 
Mr.  Gore’s  conduct,  however,  met  the  approbation  of  his 
native  state,  (Massachusetts,)  of  which  he  became,  for  a 
short  time,  governor.  Not  such  however  was  my  fate ; my 
political  glory,  as  well  as  my  military,  was  departed — to 
rise  no  more. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


243 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Age,  48  to  52 — 1804  to  1808 — 4 years. 

Intention  to  reside  in  Boston,  but  disappointed  and  leave  that  city — Es- 
tablish myself  in  New  York  as  a portrait  painter — Success — Embargo 
— Determine  to  revisit  England — Take  side  with  the  opposition  to  Mr. 
Jefferson’s  administration — His  favorite  project  of  maritime  defense  by 
gun-boats  ridiculed  in  a criticism  published  in  New  York — Copy  from 
a newspaper  of  the  day — Successful — An  end  put  to  debates  in  Con- 
gress on  the  subject. 

It  had  been  my  intention  to  have  embarked  in  London 
for  Boston,  but  circumstances  prevented  my  being  pre- 
pared in  time  ; — I therefore  took  passage  on  board  a fine 
ship  bound  to  New  York,  and  sailed  on  the  25th  of  April. 
This  delay  was  unfortunate,  since  the  easterly  winds  which 
prevail  in  that  climate,  in  early  spring,  were  already  be- 
ginning to  yield  their  dominion  to  the  western ; while 
we  lay  at  anchor  in  the  Downs,  and  during  our  passage 
down  the  Channel,  we  met  frequent  westerly  squalls, 
which  retarded  our  way,  and  when  we  had  fairly  cleared 
the  Channel,  we  encountered  the  full  force  of  the  western 
gales,  in  such  a degree,  that  at  the  end  of  twenty  days, 
during  which  we  were  contending  with  the  elements  in 
their  most  angry  mood,  our  captain  assured  us  that  we 
had  not  advanced  a single  league,  so  that  it  would  have 
been  better  at  the  beginning  of  the  gale,  to  have  put 
into  Cork,  and  there  to  have  lain  quietly  until  it  was  over. 
At  length,  however,  we  began  to  go  ahead,  but  the  result 
was  a very  tedious  passage  of  sixty  three  days,  and  we 
did  not  land  in  New  York  until  the  27th  of  June. 


244 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


I had  not  resided  much  in  New  York,  and  of  course 
had  there  but  few  connections ; our  reception,  however, 
by  the  few  friends  I had,  was  cordial  and  pleasant.  On 
the  4th  of  July,  I dined  with  the  society  of  the  Cincinnati, 
my  old  military  comrades,  and  then  met,  among  others, 
Gen.  Hamilton  and  Col.  Burr.  The  singularity  of  their 
manner  was  observed  by  all,  but  few  had  any  suspicion 
of  the  cause.  Burr,  contrary  to  his  wont,  was  silent, 
gloomy,  sour ; while  Hamilton  entered  with  glee  into  all 
the  gaiety  of  a convivial  party,  and  even  sung  an  old  mil- 
itary song.  A few  days  only  passed,  when  the  wonder 
was  solved  by  that  unhappy  event  which  deprived  the 
United  States  of  two  of  their  most  distinguished  citizens. 
Hamilton  was  killed — and  Burr  was  first  expatriated,  and 
then  sunk  into  obscurity  for  life,  in  consequence  of  their 
compliance  with  a senseless  custom,  which  ought  not  to 
have  outlived  the  dark  ages  in  which  it  had  its  origin.  It 
always  appeared  to  me,  that  the  obvious  and  honorable 
reply  of  Gen.  Hamilton  might  have  been : “ Sir,  a duel 
“ proves  nothing,  but  that  the  parties  do  not  shrink  from 
“ the  smell  of  gunpowder,  or  the  whistling  of  a ball ; on 
“ this  subject  you  and  1 have  given  too  many  proofs,  to 
“ leave  any  necessity  for  another,  and  therefore,  as  well 
“ as  for  higher  reasons,  I decline  your  proposal.” 

It  was  still  my  intention  to  make  Boston  my  future 
home,  and  therefore,  having  landed  our  effects,  and  stored 
them,  we  set  off  for  Boston,  passing  through  Connecticut, 
and  making  our  visits  to  all  branches  of  my  family,  at 
Hartford,  Lebanon  and  Norwich. 

On  our  arrival  at  Boston,  I was  received  by  my  old 
friends  with  great  kindness  and  cordiality,  but  I soon  ob- 
served that  whenever  I alluded  to  the  idea  of  settling  in 
Boston,  and  there  pursuing  my  profession  as  a portrait 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


245 


painter,  a cloud  seemed  to  pass  over  and  to  chill  the  con- 
versation. I could  not,  for  a long  time,  account  for  this, 
but  at  length  I learned  that  my  old  friend  and  fellow 
student,  Stewart,  who  having  pursued  that  branch  of  the 
profession  for  more  than  twenty  years,  had  established 
a very  highly  merited  reputation,  and  who  had  for  some 
years  resided  in  Washington,  had  lately  received  an  invita- 
tion from  Mr.  Jonathan  Mason,  one  of  the  members  of  Con- 
gress, to  come  and  settle  at  Boston.  He  had  been  prom- 
ised the  patronage  of  Mr.  Mason  and  his  friends,  (who 
were  the  rich  and  fashionable  of  the  city,)  and  Mr.  Stewart 
having  accordingly  accepted  the  invitation,  was  preparing 
to  quit  Washington  and  to  establish  himself  in  Boston.  This 
was  enough.  Boston  was  then  a small  town,  compared 
with  its  present  importance,  and  did  by  no  means  offer  an 
adequate  field  of  success  for  two  rival  artists.  I therefore 
immediately  returned  to  New  York,  took  a furnished  house 
for  the  winter,  and  began  my  course  as  a portrait  painter. 

I was  immediately  employed  by  the  government  of  the 
city,  to  paint  whole  length  portraits  of  Mr.  Jay,  and  of  Gen. 
Hamilton,  (from  the  bust  by  Cerracchi,)  and  to  put  in 
order  those  of  Gen.  Washington  and  Gov.  Clinton,  which 
I had  painted  in  1791  and  ’2.  The  four  now  hang  in  the 
common  council  room  in  the  city  hall.  I had  also  a good 
share  of  occupation  from  private  families,  and  at  this  period 
were  painted  two  portraits  which  are  now  in  the  Gallery  at 
New  Haven,  viz.  those  of  President  Dwight  and  Stephen 
Van  Rensselaer;  from  which  may  be  seen  what  was  my 
style  of  portrait  painting  at  that  period.  In  short,  my  suc- 
cess was  satisfactory. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  French  revolution  and  the  war 
between  Great  Britain  and  France  raged  furiously,  the 
political  feelings  of  Mr.  Jefferson  leaning  entirely  in  favor 


246 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


of  France.  Asperities  towards  England  increased,  and 
at  length,  in  the  autumn  of  1808,  issued  in  the  unlim- 
ited embargo  system,  which  threatened  the  entire  destruc- 
tion of  commerce,  and  of  the  prosperity  of  those  friends 
from  whom  I derived  my  subsistence. 

Independently  of  the  immediate  effect  upon  my  profes- 
sional prosperity,  which  threatened  to  be  the  result  of  this 
political  measure,  it  has  been  seen  that  I had,  for  years, 
taken  such  an  interest  in,  and  been  so  connected  with  the 
public  affairs  of  my  country,  and  had  foreseen  so  much  and 
so  nearly  the  drift  of  the  French  revolution,  as  to  render 
it  impossible  that  I should  feel  indifferent  to  such  a course. 
I therefore,  always  in  conversation,  and  occasionally  with 
the  pen  took  an  open  and  undisguised  part  with  those  who 
opposed  the  government  and  its  measures. 

In  the  autumn  of  1807,  the  message  of  President  Jeffer- 
son announced,  and  recommended  to  Congress  for  adop- 
tion, his  system  of  naval  defense  by  gun-boats.  This  ap- 
peared to  me  so  utterly  absurd  and  inefficient,  that  I could 
not  refrain  from  publishing  in  Coleman’s  paper,  a short 
examination  of  its  merits,  the  effect  of  which  was  to  dissolve 
that  illusion,  and  to  show  to  his  admirers,  that  however 
great  Mr.  Jefferson’s  philosophical  and  political  reputation 
might  be,  he  was,  in  the  year  1807,  no  more  qualified  to  lead 
in  naval  defense,  than  he  was  in  warfare  on  land,  in  1781, 
when,  as  governor  of  Virginia,  his  conduct  demonstrated 
that  he  possessed  no  military  talents.  (See  Appendix.) 

From  the  New  York  Evening  Post,  Dec.  12th,  1807. 

Gun- Boats. 

“As  Congress  has  once  more  got  on  board  the  gun- 
“ boats,  we  take  the  liberty  of  recommending  to  their 
“ perusal  the  following  piece,  written  by  an  officer  of  our 
“ revolutionary  army.” 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


247 


Mr.  Coleman — The  various  opinions  and  singular  doc- 
trines which  have  lately  been  advanced,  both  in  the  na- 
tional legislature  and  in  private  conversation,  on  the  system 
of  naval  defense  by  gun-boats,  have  induced  me  to  exam- 
ine with  some  attention,  both  the  efficiency  and  the  econ- 
omy of  that  system.  The  result  of  my  examination  has  com- 
pletely satisfied  my  mind,  that  the  system  is  incomparably 
less  efficient,  less  economical,  and  of  course  more  absurd, 
than  it  had  previously  appeared  to  me  ; and,  as  the  course 
of  inquiry  which  has  satisfied  me,  appears  to  be  well 
calculated  to  convey  the  same  conviction  to  the  minds  of 
others,  I beg  leave,  through  the  medium  of  your  useful 
paper,  to  address  some  observations  to  my  countrymen. 

I have  examined  one  of  the  gun-boats  of  the  latest  con- 
struction, which  I presume  is  regarded  by  government  as 
built  upon  the  most  approved  plan.  It  is  of  the  following 
dimensions : length,  fifty  feet ; breadth,  eighteen  feet ; 
height,  four  feet  nearly,  between  deck  and  keel,  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  crew.  These  boats  are  schooner 
rigged,  and  intended  to  carry  one  heavy  gun,  working  on 
a circle,  between  the  two  masts ; each  boat  to  be  man- 
ned with  fifty  men,  officers  included. 

Fifty  of  these  boats  are  regarded  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  as  adequate  to  the  protection  of  this 
harbor,  the  Sound,  and  the  coast,  as  far  as  Cape  Cod ; and 
two  hundred  are  by  him  considered  as  sufficient  for  the 
defense  of  the  entire  coast  of  the  Union. 

We  will  first  consider  the  efficiency  of  the  system.  The 
usual  mode  of  estimating  the  relative  importance  of  artillery 
is,  to  compare  the  weight  of  shot  which  can  be  thrown  in 
a given  time.  A heavy  gun  cannot  be  loaded  and  dis- 
charged with  the  same  celerity  as  a light  one,  and  there- 
fore, the  ratio  of  power  does  not  correspond  with  the  size 


248 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


of  the  calibre.  I will  however  consider  the  fifty  thirty-two 
pounders,  on  which  we  are  to  rely  for  safety,  as  carrying 
as  great  a weight  of  balls,  as  the  eighty  guns  which  are 
borne  by  what  is  usually  called  a seventy-four  gun  ship, 
— and  this  will  be  regarded  by  every  artillerist,  as  a large 
concession. 

The  essential  damage  which  can  be  done  to  vessels  of 
war,  is  in  a great  degree  confined  to  the  water-line,  and 
near  it.  Ships  have  fought  until  four  port-holes  were 
beat  into  one,  and  yet  were  neither  sunk  nor  taken,  but 
returned  into  port.  Shot  striking  between  wind  and 

water,  as  it  is  called,  i.  e.  on  the  water-line,  are  more  dan- 
gerous. Now  the  seventy-four  gun  ship,  in  the  extreme 
length  of  her  water-line,  exposes  something  less  than  two 
hundred  feet.  Supposing  the  fifty  gun -boats  in  action 
with  her,  to  lie  bow  on , the  shortest  possible  line  exposed 
by  each  is  eighteen  feet,  amounting  in  the  whole  to  nine 
hundred  feet ; and  whenever  they  present  their  broadsides, 
as  they  must  sometimes,  their  water-line  will  amount  to 
two  thousand  five  hundred  feet — ten  times  the  extent  of 
line  exposed  by  the  ship. 

Again,  the  disproportion  in  the  relative  strength  of  the 
two  machines,  is  obviously  much  greater  than  that  in  the 
size  of  their  guns  ; a twelve  pound  shot  will  more  entirely 
penetrate  a gun-boat,  than  a thirty-two  pound  shot  will  a 
ship  of  the  line. 

I allow  that,  in  a calm,  the  gun-boats,  possessing  the 
power  in  some  measure  of  choosing  their  position,  by 
means  of  oars,  will  have  an  advantage  over  a heavy  ship. 
In  deep  water,  this  advantage  may  prove  irresistible,  but 
in  a harbor,  where  the  ship  could  anchor  with  springs  on 
her  cables,  it  would  be  trifling.  In  a breeze,  the  seventy- 
four  gun  ship  will  outsail  the  gun-boats,  and,  unless  they 


V 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


249 


take  shelter  in  shallow  water,  will  have  no  more  difficulty 
in  running  down  a squadron  of  them,  than  a ship  of  three 
hundred  tons  would  have  in  running  down  a squadron  of 
birch  canoes.  It  results  then,  that,  in  a calm,  the  fifty 
gun-boats  may  be  considered  as  equal  in  efficiency  to  one 
ship  of  seventy-four  guns ; but  in  rough  water,  or  a fresh 
breeze,  utterly  inferior. 

I ought,  however,  to  state  one  additional  consideration, 
which  gives  to  the  ship,  in  every  circumstance,  an  im- 
mense advantage ; it  is,  that  her  force  is  compact,  her 
crew  disciplined,  and  under  the  eye  and  absolute  com- 
mand of  one  man  ; whereas,  the  fifty  gun-boats  must  have 
fifty  commanders,  a number  which  can  never  be  expected 
to  act  in  concert,  even  if  there  existed  on  board  each  sep- 
arate boat,  the  most  perfect  discipline. 

Let  us  next  consider  the  economy  of  the  gun-boat  sys- 
tem, with  respect  to  human  life — a consideration  which 
ought  not  to  have  been  overlooked  by  the  friends  of  the 
people.  A seventy-four  gun  ship  in  the  British  service, 
is  regarded  as  fully  manned  with  six  hundred  men.  The 
fifty  gun-boats,  with  which  we  are  oppose  them,  require 
two  thousand,  five  hundred  men.  The  six  hundred  men 
on  board  the  ship  are  sheltered  in  a great  measure,  from 
the  fire  of  an  enemy.  But  the  two  thousand  five  hundred 
men  on  board  the  gun-boats,  must  all  be  upon  deck  in 
action,  completely  exposed,  the  waist  of  the  gun-boat 
being  neither  high  enough,  nor  strong  enough,  to  shelter 
even  their  legs ; the  boats,  of  course,  must  never  approach 
within  the  range  of  musketry  or  grape.  In  addition  to 
this  lavish  exposure  of  life  and  limbs,  there  is  no  provision 
made  on  board  for  the  comfort  or  relief  of  the  wounded, 
— there  is  no  cock-pit ; while  on  board  the  ship,  both  the 
wounded  and  the  surgeons  in  attendance  are  out  of  further 

32 


250 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


danger,  the  cock-pit  being  deep  below  the  water-line,  and 
secure  from  the  enemy’s  shot.  So  much  for  the  humanity 
of  the  system. 

Next,  let  us  consider  the  economy  of  the  first  expense. 
Each  gun-boat  of  the  dimensions  before  described,  has 
cost  in  this  port,  for  the  naked  hull,  three  thousand  dollars. 
To  rig  and  equip  her,  (as  I am  informed  by  men  of  skill  and 
experience,)  will  cost  four  thousand  dollars  more,  making  a 
total  for  each  gun,  which  is  water-borne,  of  seven  thousand 
dollars,  or  one  thousand,  five  hundred  and  seventy  five 
pounds  sterling.  In  the  British  service,  some  years  ago, 
the  estimate  was  one  thousand  pounds  for  a gun,  for  ships 
of  the  line.  Allow  a rise  of  fifty  per  cent,  on  the  expense 
of  ship-building,  the  first  cost  of  their  ships,  will  then  be 
the  same,  per  gun,  as  ours. 

But  the  expense  of  a navy  does  not  arise  so  much  from 
the  first  cost  of  the  machinery,  as  from  the  annual  waste  in 
manning,  victualling,  and  pay  ; and  here,  the  wisdom  of 
our  legislature  shines  with  superior  splendor,  for  while  in 
the  British  service  eight  men  to  a gun  are  considered  as  a 
full  complement,  even  for  distant  expeditions,  they  would, 
even  for  harbor  duty,  economically  employ  fifty  men  to  each 
gun.  Hence  it  results,  that  the  two  hundred  gun-boats, 
which,  by  the  transcendent  wisdom  of  our  rulers,  are  des- 
tined to  guard  this  happy  country,  will  require  ten  thousand 
men  to  man  them,  while  in  the  British  service,  ten  thou- 
sand men  would  be  a full  complement  for  fifteen  ships  of 
eighty  guns  each . 

It  is  not  necessary  to  compare  the  immense  disparity 
of  pay,  victualling,  and  wear  and  tear  of  the  two  systems ; 
I will  merely  state  the  number  of  officers  and  men,  which 
must  stand  nearly  as  follows : 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


251 


In  the  two  hundred  gun-boats,  divided  into  six  flotillas — 
Six  flotillas,  each  1,  6 commanders. 

Two  hundred  boats,  each  1,  200  captains. 

each  2,  400  lieutenants. 

Total,  606  comm’d  officers. 

of  eighty  guns  each — 

each  1,  3 admirals, 

each  1,  15  captains, 

each  4,  60  lieutenants. 

Total,  78  comm’d  officers. 

Our  economists  then,  in  order  to  put  afloat  two  hundred 
guns,  propose  to  employ  six  hundred  and  six  commis- 
sioned officers,  and  nine  thousand,  three  hundred  and 
ninety  four  warrant  officers  and  seamen ; while  the  prodi- 
gal Britons,  in  fifteen  ships , of  eighty  guns  each,  put  afloat 
twelve  hundred  guns,  and  employ  seventy  eight  commis- 
sioned officers,  and  nine  thousand,  nine  hundred  and 
twenty  two  warrant  officers  and  seamen.  Thus,  the 
annual  expense  of  our  two  hundred  guns,  which  are 
destined  to  lurk  in  mud-holes,  will  be  equal  to  that  of 
twelve  hundred  British  cannon,  a force  sufficient  to  com- 
mand the  respect  of  mankind  in  every  quarter  of  the 
ocean ; for  it  is  conceded  in  that  model  of  naval,  military 
and  economical  wisdom,  the  late  presidential  message 
on  the  subject  of  gun-boats,  “ that  this  species  of  naval 
“ armament  can  have  but  little  effect  towards  protecting 
“ our  commerce,  in  the  open  seas,  even  upon  our  own 
“ coasts.” 

If  I am  answered,  that  there  is  no  intention  of  manning 
all  the  gun-boats,  except  in  case  of  war,  I admit  it ; neither 
are  British  ships  of  war  manned  except  in  case  of  war. 


In  fifteen  ships, 
Three  squadrons, 
Fifteen  ships, 

6C  (6 


252 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


But  both  boats  and  ships,  when  manned,  and  to  whatever 
extent,  must  be  victualled  and  paid,  and  the  disparity  of 
expense  will  be  in  exact  proportion  to  the  disparity  of 
numbers  above  stated. 

I presume  that  the  same  sublime  strain  of  wisdom  will 
pervade  the  whole  system,  and  be  displayed  in  the  means 
of  procuring  men,  as  in  devising  and  constructing  the 
machines.  The  law  which  was  passed  some  years  since, 
will  render  useless  the  slow  and  old  fashioned  and  explo- 
ded forms  of  enlistment,  and  guard  the  liberties  of  the 
dear  people  from  the  abomination  of  impressment.  Ac- 
cording to  that  law,  whenever  danger  shall  menace  any 
harbor,  or  any  foreign  ship  shall  insult  us,  somebody 
is  to  inform  the  governor,  and  the  governor  is  to  de- 
sire the  marshall  to  call  upon  the  captains  of  militia,  to 
call  upon  the  drummers  to  beat  to  arms,  and  call  the 
militia-men  together,  from  whom  are  to  be  draughted 
(not  impressed)  a sufficient  number  to  go  on  board  the 
gun-boats , and  drive  the  hostile  stranger  away,  unless 
during  this  long  ceremonial  he  should  have  taken  him- 
self off. 

My  friends  of  the  militia  must  permit  me  to  describe  the 
accommodations  which  they  will  find  on  board.  As  the 
height  below  deck  is  not  quite  four  feet , they  will  not 
only  not  be  able  to  stand  upright  under  cover,  but  cannot 
even  sit  upright,  unless  they  squat  upon  the  floor,  like 
puppies  in  a dog-kennel — a most  elegant  position,  in 
which  we  are  all,  in  our  turns,  liable  to  be  placed,  by 
those  most  admirable  friends  of  the  people , our  sagacious 
rulers. 

Such  is  the  gun-boat  system.  Yet  there  are  legislators, 
who  call  this  prodigality,  this  wasteful  imbecility,  by  the 
name  of  economy ! — and  men  in  the  community,  who,  for 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


253 


want  of  reflection,  suffer  themselves  to  be  the  dupes  of 
such  palpable  nonsense  and  falsehood. 

After  the  publication  of  this  piece,  the  debates  in  Con- 
gress on  the  subject  of  defense  by  gun-boats  ceased,  and 
this  display  of  presidential  wisdom  slept  in  peace. 


254 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Age,  54  to  60 — 1808  to  1816 — 8 years. 

Embarked  for  London,  Dec.  15th,  1808,  via  Falmouth — Arrived  January 
7th — Went  up  to  London — Kindly  received  by  Mr.  West,  and  re- 
sumed my  profession — Execute  several  large  pictures,  and  many 
portraits,  but  rny  receipts  not  equal  to  expenses — Reduced  to  the  ne- 
cessity of  borrowing — Resolve  to  give  up  the  struggle — Write  to  secure 
a passage  to  America — News  of  the  declaration  of  war  by  the  United 
States — All  intercourse  at  an  end — During  the  whole  French  revolu- 
tion, mutual  recrimination  between  America  and  England — End  thus 
at  last — Detained  therefore  to  the  end  of  the  war,  and  obliged  to  go 
into  debt  for  the  means  of  subsistence — Letter  to  Lord  Grenville — 
His  answer. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  1808,  I embarked  at  New 
York  on  board  the  British  packet-ship  Chesterfield,  Capt. 
Gibbons,  and  sailed  for  Falmouth.  This  was  almost  the 
last  ship  that  was  permitted  to  sail  for  Great  Britain,  under 
this  self-denying  ordinance — the  embargo.  The  season 
was  severe,  but  the  wind  was  generally  fair,  and  the  pas- 
sage safe  and  short.  We  arrived  in  Falmouth  on  the  7th 
of  January,  1809.  The  officers  of  the  customs  were  obli- 
ging, and  having  landed  our  effects,  and  seen  them  on 
board  a waggon  bound  for  London,  we  set  off  for  that  city, 
and  arrived  without  accident  or  delay.  We  were  kindly 
received  by  our  old  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  West,  as  well  as 
by  many  others  ; — and  I again  commenced  painting. 

The  uncertain  state  of  political  relations  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain,  and  the  manifest  inclina- 
tion of  the  head  of  the  American  government  in  favor  of 
France,  naturally  produced  a coldness  in  the  minds  of 
Englishmen  towards  the  people  of  the  United  States,  and 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


255 


increased  the  unavoidable  jealousy  of  the  members  of  a 
profession  which  is  seldom  overloaded  with  any  superfluity 
of  patronage.  I had  no  family  connections — few  personal 
friends,  and  all  the  unfavorable  passages  of  my  preceding 
life  now  came  up  to  view,  to  my  serious  disadvantage. 
No  wonder  then,  if  in  my  new  character  of  a painter,  many 
were  disposed  to  see  rather  the  mask  of  a concealed 
public  (probably  hostile)  agent,  than  the  honest  and  fair 
competition  of  an  individual  for  his  share  of  professional 
reputation. 

Large  pictures  were  not,  however,  the  only  works  which 
I executed  during  these  four  years.  I painted  also  a num- 
ber of  portraits,  for  which  good  prices  were  paid,  but 
not  to  an  amount  sufficient  to  defray  my  expenses.  I 
was  thus  placed  under  the  necessity  of  borrowing,  and 
was  constantly  drifting  upon  the  fatal  lee-shore  of  debt. 
Finding  this  to  be  unavoidable,  I at  length  gave  up  the 
fruitless  struggle,  and  determined  to  return  to  America, 
and  had  written  to  Liverpool,  to  engage  a passage  on  board 
a ship  which  was  about  to  sail  from  that  port,  when  we 
were  confounded  by  the  news,  that  the  United  States  had, 
on  the  18th  of  May,  1812,  declared  war  against  Great 
Britain,  and  that  all  mutual  intercourse  was  at  an  end. 

Ever  since  the  commencement  of  the  revolution  in 
France,  bitter  recriminations  had  been  passing  between 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  and  for  several  years, 
the  great  subject  of  contention  had  been  the  orders  in 
council,  (encroaching  severely  upon  the  American  com- 
merce,) which  Great  Britain  had  passed  in  retaliation  for 
the  Berlin  and  Milan  decrees,  antecedently  promulgated 
by  Buonaparte.  The  commerce  of  America  was,  in  truth, 
crushed  between  the  two,  as  between  the  upper  and 
nether  millstones,  until  at  length  the  patience  of  the  Ameri- 


256 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


can  government  was  exhausted,  and  this  definitive  step 
was  taken,  unhappily,  almost  on  the  very  day  on  which 
the  British  government  repealed  the  oppressive  order. 

Thus  all  hope  of  a speedy  return  to  America  was  de- 
stroyed, and  of  necessity  I was  driven  to  continue  the 
wretched  resource  of  borrowing  the  means  of  subsistence. 
I did  not,  however,  sink  feebly  under  this  new  blow ; I 
endeavored,  on  the  contrary,  to  revive  the  acquaintance 
of  men  in  power,  to  whom  I had  formerly  been  known.  I 
wrote  to  several,  but  although  I was  on  all  hands  treated 
with  great  personal  civilty,  yet  all  the  answer  I could  get, 
was,  “ that  since  the  United  States  had  chosen  to  take  the 
“ step  she  had,  the  war  must  proceed,  and  could  not,  on 
“ the  part  of  Great  Britain,  be  a sentimental  war.  Events 
“ must  take  their  course,  and  no  exceptions  could  be  made 
“ in  favor  of  individuals,  however  otherwise  respected  or 
“ esteemed.”  The  only  indulgence  I was  able  to  obtain, 
was  permission  to  reside  at  Bath  or  Cheltenham,  in  pre- 
ference to  London. 

Of  the  letters  which  I wrote  at  this  time,  I insert  one, 
as  a specimen,  and  the  answer,  as  being  highly  honor- 
able to  the  great  and  good  nobleman  to  whom  it  was 
addressed. 

London,  29  Leicester  Square,  Nov.  19,  1814. 

To  the  Right  Hon.  Lord  Grenville. 

My  Lord — I trust  to  your  lordship’s  candor,  to  forgive 
this  intrusion,  when  you  shall  have  seen  its  object. 

Misrepresentation,  ever  the  fruitful  source  of  mischief, 
has  been  but  too  active  and  successful,  not  merely  in  pro- 
ducing and  prolonging  the  present  calamitous  contest 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  but  also  in 
giving  to  the  military  operations  in  that  country,  a charac- 
ter of  ferocity  seldom  seen  in  modern  times ; and  it  has 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


257 


even  been  so  triumphant,  as  to  produce  in  the  minds  of 
Englishmen,  approbation  of  measures  from  which  they 
would  recoil  with  abhorrence  when  not  under  the  influence 
of  delusion.  Even  I,  though  an  American,  did  not  doubt 
that  my  countrymen  were  the  aggressors  in  the  incen- 
diary system  which  has  been  too  long  pursued,  until  I 
saw  the  extraordinary  letter  of  Admiral  Cochrane,  dated 
August  16, 1814,  and  the  answer  of  Mr.  Monroe.  I then 
felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  examine  the  question,  dispassion- 
ately and  carefully,  and  in  doing  this,  I determined  to  take 
the  London  gazettes  alone  as  authority,  and  to  rest  the 
question  on  them. 

I have  done  so,  my  lord ; I have  twice  carefully  exam- 
ined the  gazettes  for  the  years  1812  and  1813,  and  have 
extracted  with  care,  and  I hope  with  accuracy,  every 
article  which  speaks  of  burning . I have  the  honor  to 
enclose  a copy  of  these  extracts,  and  beg  leave  to  request 
your  lordship’s  attention,  particularly,  to  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  third  article  of  capitulation  of  York  on  the  27th 
of  April,  1813,  and  the  almost  contemporaneous  despatches 
of  Admiral  Cockburne,  as  well  as  to  that  between  the 
fourth  article  of  the  same  capitulation,  and  the  wanton 
and  studied  destruction  of  papers  of  all  kinds  which  took 
place  at  Washington. 

The  war  between  the  two  nations  becomes  daily  more 
important,  and  every  man  of  humanity  must  wish  to  see 
its  future  operations  divested,  as  far  as  possible,  of  all 
unnecessary  ferocity. 

Your  lordship,  I know,  will  contribute  to  this  end  with 
delight,  and  if  the  statement  which  I have  the  honor  to  lay 
before  you,  should  in  any  degree  lead  to  the  same  pur- 
pose, it  will  afford  durable  satisfaction  to  me. 

I have  the  honor  to  be,  &c.  &c.  J.  Trumbull. 

33 


258 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


To  this  letter  I received  the  following  answer : 

Dropemore,  Nov.  23d,  1814. 

To  John  Trumbull,  Esq.,  &c.  (fee. 

Sir — No  apology  whatever  could  be  necessary  for  your 
letter,  conveying  information  on  a subject  in  which  I take 
so  deep  an  interest. 

Among  the  circumstances  to  which  I look  back  with 
most  pleasure,  in  the  close  of  a long  and  I hope  not  wholly 
useless  public  life,  is  that  of  the  uniform,  though  frequently 
ineffectual,  efforts  which  I have  made,  for  the  maintenance 
of  peace  and  friendship  between  my  own  country  and  the 
United  States.  How  much  the  conduct  of  both  govern- 
ments has  contributed  to  disappoint  those  wishes,  I need 
not  say,  to  a person  so  well  informed  on  the  subject  as 
you  are. 

Lamenting  deeply  the  existence  and  continuance  of  the 
war,  I felt  additional  grief  when  I saw  it  assuming  a shape 
of  unusual  and  revolting  ferocity,  unnecessarily  aggrava- 
ting the  public  and  general  evils  of  such  a state,  by  the 
wanton  infliction  of  private  and  individual  calamity.  To 
do  all  in  his  power  to  check  the  progress  of  such  a system, 
seemed  to  me  the  duty  of  every  man,  and  I took  the  very 
first  opportunity  of  expressing  my  abhorrence  of  it,  (on 
whichever  side  it  originated,)  and  of  calling  for  official 
measures  to  prevent  its  continuance.  Had  this  claim  been 
resisted,  I was  prepared  and  resolved  to  pursue  the  sub- 
ject further,  nor  did  I desist  from  that  intention,  until  I 
received  public  and  solemn  assurances,  that  orders  had 
already  been  sent  out  to  America  for  the  discontinuance 
of  such  measures,  and  for  a return  to  the  practice  of  mod- 
ern and  civilized  war,  provided  the  same  course  shall  in 
future  be  adhered  to  by  those  whom  I lament  to  call  our 


enemies. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


259 


This  was  the  only  practical  result  that  could  be  hoped  for 
from  pursuing  the  subject  further.  An  inquiry  which  party 
first  resorted  to  practices  which  both  now  equally  disclaim 
on  principle,  and  justify  only  on  the  ground  of  retaliation, 
could  now  only  produce  fruitless  recrimination,  tending 
more  to  irritation  than  to  peace. 

I therefore  let  the  matter  rest  there,  but  with  the  full 
purpose  of  renewing  it,  should  the  expectations  now  held 
out  be  ultimately  disappointed. 

I am,  with  great  truth  and  regard,  sir, 

Your  most  faithful,  humble  servant, 

Grenville. 


260 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


Age,  60  to  68 — 1816  to  1824 — 8 years. 

Return  to  America — Narrow  escape  from  shipwreck — Begin  to  paint  in 
New  York — Learn  that  Baltimore  had  resolved  to  have  pictures  of  her 
late  successful  defense — Advised  by  my  friend  Charles  Wilkes  to  offer 
proposals — Go  to  Baltimore — Propose — Expense  too  great — Project 
abandoned — Advised  to  go  on  to  Washington  and  offer  my  original 
plan — Go  to  Washington — Show  several  of  the  smaller  pictures  now 
in  the  gallery  at  New  Haven — Result — Employed  to  paint  four  sub- 
jects— Copy  of  the  contract — Letters  to  the  architect,  Mr.  Bulfinch — 
In  consequence,  the  dome  and  grand  central  room  saved — Paintings 
executed  and  put  up — Copy  of  account  as  settled  at  the  treasury — 
Death  of  Mrs.  Trumbull,  and  eulogy  upon  her — Settlement  of  account 
required,  and  payment  of  debt  incurred  in  last  unfortunate  visit  to 
Europe — Done  to  my  utter  ruin. 


The  restoration  of  peace  gave  me  the  opportunity  of 
returning  to  America.  I lost  no  time,  but  embarked  for 
New  York,  on  board  the  Illinois,  a fine 'American  ship, 
and  sailed  August  18th,  1815.  Our  passage  was  pleasant 
and  rapid,  until,  in  September,  we  had  found  soundings, 
and  concluded  ourselves  to  be  near  Montauk  point ; a 
heavy  gale  from  the  southeast,  then  overtook  us  in  the 
morning,  and  increased  in  fury  until,  in  the  afternoon,  our 
maintop-mast  went  overboard,  and  hanging  by  the  back- 
stay and  other  rigging,  dragged  alongside,  beating  heavily, 
from  time  to  time,  under  our  quarter,  with  a violence  which 
threatened  to  start  a butt,  or  stave  a hole  in  the  ship’s 
side.  Our  situation  was,  for  some  time,  truly  dangerous  ; 
we  knew  that  we  were  near  land,  with  a disabled  ship, 
the  gale  increasing  in  fury,  and  driving  us  irresistibly 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


261 


toward  the  beach.*  The  wreck  was  however  cut  clear, 
the  wind  suddenly  changed,  and  in  a moment,  when  we 
almost  despaired,  we  were  out  of  danger.  Two  days 
after  we  were  safe  in  the  harbor  of  New  York. 

I immediately  took  a house  in  Broadway,  (now  the 
Globe  hotel,)  at  $1200  per  year,  and  commenced  my 
labors,  with  good  prospect  of  success.  On  the  1st  of 
February,  a lodging-house  keeper  offered  $2,200,  which 
the  executor  was  bound  to  accept,  and  I was  turned 
adrift. 

I removed,  in  May,  to  Hudson  square,  to  a good  house, 
at  a reasonable  rent,  and  in  a beautiful  situation ; but  I 
soon  found  myself  too  far  out  of  town  for  success  in  por- 
trait painting,  and  business  languished. 

My  friend,  Mr.  Charles  Wilkes,  informed  me,  that  the 
city  of  Baltimore  had  resolved  to  procure  two  paintings,  one 
representing  the  death  of  Gen.  Ross  at  North  point,  the 
other,  the  attack  on  Fort  McHenry  by  the  British  ships,  and 
had  advertised  for  proposals.  He  advised  me  to  visit  Bal- 
timore, to  carry  with  me  some  of  my  studies  of  national 
subjects,  and  offer  to  paint  these  pictures  ; to  aid  my  plans, 
gave  me  an  introduction  to  Judge  Nicholson.  I went 
accordingly,  in  December,  was  well  received,  conducted 
with  some  ceremony  to  the  two  scenes  of  action,  which 
were  carefully  and  intelligently  described,  and  made  pro- 
posals. After  some  days’  deliberation,  the  government  of 
the  city  decided  not  to  incur  the  expense. 

Congress  was  in  session,  and  my  friend,  Judge  Nich- 
olson, advised  me  to  go  on  to  Washington,  and  there  offer 
my  great,  but  long  suspended,  project  of  national  paint- 
ings of  subjects  from  the  Revolution.  The  Judge  went 
with  me,  introduced  me  to  his  friends  in  both  houses,  and 
the  plan  was  favorably  received.  Several  gentlemen,  (par- 


262 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


ticularly  Mr.  Timothy  Pitkin,  of  the  house  of  representa- 
tives,) were  zealous  to  see  my  plan  executed  in  its  full 
extent.  Some  of  the  studies  were  put  up  in  the  hall  of 
the  house ; and  in  one  of  the  debates  on  the  subject,  Mr. 
John  Randolph  was  ardently  eloquent  in  his  commenda- 
tion of  the  work,  and  insisted  that  I should  be  employed 
to  execute  the  whole.  The  result  was,  that  a resolution 
finally  passed  both  houses,  giving  authority  to  the  presi- 
dent, “ to  employ  me  to  compose  and  execute  four  paint- 
“ ings,  commemorative  of  the  most  important  events  of  the 
“ American  revolution,  to  be  placed,  when  finished,  in  the 
“ Capitol  of  the  United  States.” 

The  choice  of  the  subjects,  and  the  size  of  each  pic- 
ture, was  left  to  the  president,  Mr.  Madison.  I immedi- 
ately waited  upon  the  president  to  receive  his  orders. 
The  size  was  first  discussed.  I proposed  that  they  should 
be  six  feet  high  by  nine  long,  which  would  give  to  the 
figures  half  the  size  of  life.  The  president  at  once  over- 
ruled me.  “ Consider,  sir,”  said  he,  “ the  vast  size  of  the 
“ apartment  in  which  these  works  are  to  be  placed — the 
“ rotunda,  one  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  same  in 
“ height — paintings  of  the  size  which  you  propose,  will  be 
“ lost  in  such  a space ; they  must  be  of  dimensions  to 
“ admit  the  figures  to  be  the  size  of  life.” 

This  was  so  settled,  and  when  we  came  to  speak  of  the 
subjects,  the  president  first  mentioned  the  battle  of  Bun- 
ker’s Hill.  Observing  me  to  be  silent,  Mr.  Madison  asked 
if  I did  not  approve  that.  My  reply  was,  “that  if  the 
“ order  had  been  (as  I had  hoped)  for  eight  paintings,  I 
“ should  have  named  that  first ; but  as  there  were  only 
“ four  commanded,  I thought  otherwise.  It  appeared  to 
“me,  that  there  were  two  military  subjects  paramount  to 
“all  others.  We  had,  in  the  course  of  the  Revolution, 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


263 


“made  prisoners  of  two  entire  armies,  a circumstance 
“almost  without  a parallel,  and  of  course  the  surrender 
“of  General  Burgoyne  at  Saratoga,  and  that  of  Lord 
“ Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  seemed  to  me  indispensable.” 
“ True,”  replied  he,  “ you  are  right ; and  what  for  the 
“ civil  subjects  V 9 “ The  declaration  of  independence,  of 

“ course.”  “ What  would  you  have  for  the  fourth?”  “ Sir,” 
I replied,  “ I have  thought  that  one  of  the  highest  moral 
“ lessons  ever  given  to  the  world,  was  that  presented  by 
“ the  conduct  of  the  commander-in-chief,  in  resigning  his 
“ power  and  commission  as  he  did,  when  the  army,  per- 
“ haps,  would  have  been  unanimously  with  him,  and  few  of 
“the  people  disposed  to  resist  his  retaining  the  power 
“ which  he  had  used  with  such  happy  success,  and  such 
“irreproachable  moderation.  I would  recommend,  then, 
“the  resignation  of -Washington.”  After  a momentary 
silent  reflection,  the  president  said,  “I  believe  you  are 
“ right ; it  was  a glorious  action.” 

The  price  was  settled,  at  eight  thousand  dollars  for  each 
painting,  and,  as  soon  as  the  new  administration  was 
formed  under  Mr.  Monroe,  the  secretary  of  state  was 
charged  to  prepare  a contract  on  these  principles,  which 
was  done,  and  was  in  the  following  form,  viz. 

“Articles  of  agreement,  made  and  executed  this  fif- 
“ teenth  day  of  March,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
“ seventeen,  between  Richard  Rush,  acting  secretary  of 
“ state  for  the  United  States,  of  the  one  part,  and  John 
“ Trumbull  of  Connecticut,  of  the  other  part. 

“ Whereas,  a resolution  was  passed  on  the  sixth  day  of 
“ February,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventeen, 
“by  the  senate  and  house  of  representatives  of  the  United 
“ States,  authorizing  the  president  of  the  United  States 
“ to  employ  the  aforesaid  John  Trumbull,  to  compose  and 


264 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ execute  four  paintings,  commemorative  of  the  most  im- 
“ portant  events  of  the  American  revolution,  to  be  placed, 
“ when  finished,  in  the  capitol  of  the  United  States  ; now, 
“ therefore,  I,  Richard  Rush,  acting  secretary  of  state  as 
“ aforesaid,  in  virtue  of  authority  vested  in  me  by  the 
“ president  of  the  United  States,  do  hereby  employ  the 
“ said  John  Trumbull,  to  compose  and  execute  four  paint- 
“ ings  as  aforesaid,  the  subjects  of  which,  in  pursuance  of 
“ the  spirit  of  the  said  resolution,  to  be  as  follows,  viz. 

“ 1st.  The  Declaration  of  Independence ; 2d.  Surrender 
“ of  the  British  to  the  American  forces  at  Saratoga ; 
“ 3d.  The  Surrender  of  the  British  to  the  American  forces 
“at  Yorktown;  4th.  The  Resignation  of  General  Wash- 
“ ington  at  Annapolis.” 

“ And  the  said  John  Trumbull  engages,  that  each  of 
“ the  aforesaid  paintings  shall  have  a surface  of  not  less 
“ than  eighteen  feet  by  twelve  feet,  with  figures  as  large 
“ as  life ; that  they  shall  be  executed  with  all  reasonable 
“ dispatch,  and  in  a manner  (as  far  as  may  be  attainable 
“ by  the  skill  of  the  said  John  Trumbull)  worthy  the  dig- 
“ nity  of  the  subjects,  and  the  destination  of  the  paintings 
“ when  finished.  And  the  said  Richard  Rush,  acting  sec- 
“ retary  of  state  as  aforesaid,  engages  to  pay,  or  cause  to 
“ be  paid,  to  the  said  John  Trumbull,  the  sum  of  thirty - 
“ two  thousand  dollars,  in  manner  following,  and  not  oth- 
“ erwise  ; that  is  to  say,  the  sum  of  eight  thousand  dollars 
“ upon  the  execution  of  this  instrument ; the  sum  of  six 
“ thousand  dollars  upon  the  completion  and  delivery  of  the 
“ first  of  the  aforesaid  paintings ; the  like  sum  of  six 
“ thousand  dollars  upon  the  completion  and  delivery  of  the 
“ second  of  the  aforesaid  paintings ; the  like  sum  of  six 
“ thousand  dollars  upon  the  completion  and  delivery  of 
“ the  third  of  the  aforesaid  paintings ; and  the  like  sum  of 


i 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


265 


“ six  thousand  dollars  upon  the  completion  and  delivery 
“ of  the  fourth  of  the  aforesaid  paintings. 

“ And  it  is  moreover  understood  and  agreed  by  the  said 
“ John  Trumbull,  that,  in  the  case  of  his  death  before  the 
“ completion  or  commencement  of  the  first  of  the  aforesaid 
“ paintings,  or  his  inability  occasioned  by  any  other  means 
“ to  enter  upon  or  complete  it,  the  aforesaid  sum  of  eight 
“ thousand  dollars  to  be  paid  on  the  execution  of  this 
“ instrument  as  above  mentioned,  or  such  portion  thereof 
“ as  shall  be  just  and  reasonable,  shall  be  by  him  refunded. 

“ In  witness  of  which  the  parties  have  hereunto  set 
“their  hands,  the  day  and  year  above  written,  the 
“ party  of  the  first  part  causing  the  seal  of  the  depart- 
“ ment  of  state  to  be  also  hereunto  affixed. 

Richard  Rush,  Acting  Sec . State . 

John  Trumbull.” 

( Daniel  Brent. 

C John  H.  Purviance. 


Witnesses, 


I had  hardly  commenced  my  first  painting,  when  I re- 
ceived a letter  from  Charles  Bulfinch,  Esq.,  who  had  been 
recently  appointed  to  succeed  Mr.  Latrobe  as  architect  of 
the  public  buildings  at  Washington — (this  letter  was  lost 
at  the  fire  that  partly  consumed  the  Academy  of  Fine 
Arts  in  Barclay  street,  New  York,  in  1836,) — to  which, 
the  following  is  my  answer,  transcribed  from  my  letter- 
book  of  that  period. 

New  York,  January  25,  1818. 

Charles  Bulfinch,  Esq.,  Architect  of  the  Capitol,  Washington. 

Dear  Sir — Your  favor  of  the  19th  came  duly  to  my 
hands,  and  the  subject  has  entirely  occupied  my  attention 
since.  I will  at  present  beg  leave  to  state  two  difficulties, 
which  to  my  mind  appear  formidable. 

34 


266 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


If  you  adopt  a staircase  similar  to  that  in  the  city  hall 
here,  it  will  be  imperfect  without  a dome  light ; this  will 
not  come  in  the  centre  of  the  building.  How  then  can 
you  have  the  grand  dome,  even  for  show  1 

To  the  saloon  which  you  propose  for  the  gallery  of 
paintings,  there  is  this  insurmountable  objection, — the  pic- 
tures must  hang  opposite  to  the  windows,  which  is  the 
worst  possible  light ; besides  which,  the  columns  and  pro- 
jection of  the  portico  will  darken  the  room  in  some  degree, 
and  render  what  light  there  may  be,  partial  and  unsteady. 

These  objections  occurred  to  me  at  once,  and  with  the 
reluctance  which  I feel  at  the  idea  of  abandoning  the  ori- 
ginal plan  of  the  capitol,  so  totally  as  to  give  up  the  circular 
room,  and  the  grand  dome,  conspired  to  stimulate  my 
imagination.  An  idea  has  occurred  to  me,  which  I think 
will  preserve  both,  and  unite  originality,  utility,  simplicity, 
and  grandeur,  with  economy.  It  is  difficult  to  explain  my 
meaning  fully,  without  drawings ; I am,  therefore,  endeav- 
oring to  put  my  plan  upon  paper. 

A young  gentleman  whom  I employ  to  open  a sub- 
scription for  me  at  Washington,  will  leave  this  in  two  or 
three  days,  and  will  be  with  you  about  this  day  week ; by 
him  I will  send  you  the  detailed  descriptions  and  drawings 
of  what  has  occurred  to  me,  and  I shall  be  truly  happy  if 
they  should  be  of  any  use  to  you. 

I heartily  wish  we  were  near  each  other,  that  I might 
have  the  pleasure  of  discussing  with  you,  in  conversation, 
the  objections  which  will  naturally  occur  to  you.  I am,  & c. 

New  York,  Jan.  28th,  1818. 

Charles  Bulfinch,  Esq.,  Washington. 

Dear  Sir — Your  letter  of  the  19th,  paints  to  me  pre- 
cisely, the  situation  in  which  I imagined  you  would  find 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


267 


yourself,  on  your  arrival  at  Washington,  surrounded  by 
every  diversity  of  opinions,  interests  and  prejudices.  That, 
under  such  circumstances,  you  should  have  felt  the  want 
of  some  friend,  conversant  with  the  arts,  to  advise  with, 
was  natural,  although  in  any  other  situation  the  resources 
of  your  own  mind  would  have  been  amply  equal  to  any 
professional  difficulties  which  you  might  have  to  encounter. 
It  gives  me  great  satisfaction,  that  in  such  a moment  you 
should  have  thought  of  consulting  me ; for,  thirty  years  of 
personal  acquaintance  and  esteem,  have  rendered  your 
good  opinion  peculiarly  valuable  to  me. 

I am  glad  to  know  that  so  much  is  done,  and  magnifi- 
cently done,  at  the  Capitol ; but  I feel  the  deepest  regret 
at  the  idea  of  abandoning  the  great  circular  room  and 
dome.  I have  never  seen  paintings  so  advantageously 
placed  in  respect  to  light  and  space,  as  I think  mine  would 
be,  in  the  proposed  circular  room,  illuminated  from  above. 
The  boasted  gallery  of  the  Louvre  is  execrable  for  paint- 
ings— windows  on  each  side,  and  opposite  to  each  other, 
and  the  pictures  hanging  not  only  between  them  but 
opposite  to  them.  The  governor’s  room  here  is  subject, 
in  part,  to  the  same  objection — the  pictures  being  hung 
generally  opposite  to  the  windows,  and  in  two  instances 
between  them.  The  same  objection  applies  in  its  full 
force,  to  the  proposed  saloon  or  gallery  in  the  Capitol ; and 
I should  be  deeply  mortified,  if,  after  having  devoted  my 
life  to  recording  the  great  events  of  the  Revolution,  my 
paintings,  when  finished,  should  be  placed  in  a disadvan- 
tageous light.  In  truth,  my  dear  friend,  it  would  paralyze 
my  exertions,  for  bad  pictures  are  nearly  equal  to  good, 
when  both  are  placed  in  a bad  light.  These  considera- 
tions must  be  my  apology  for  presuming  to  offer  any  idea 
on  the  subject  of  architecture,  of  which  I profess  to  have 


268 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


no  other  than  a very  superficial  knowledge,  and  which  I 
have  studied  only  as  connected  with  the  picturesque  of 
my  own  profession. 

You  state  two  objections  to  this  favorite  situation  ; first, 
that  the  room  is  so  vast,  that  paintings  of  whatever  size 
will  appear  small  in  it ; and  secondly,  that,  being  open  to 
the  public,  the  paintings  will  be  exposed  to  danger  from 
damp,  from  the  familiarity  of  friends,  and  from  the  malice 
of  enemies. 

In  the  plan  which  I venture  to  submit  to  you,  I have 
endeavored  to  obviate  these  difficulties.  I proceed  to  the 
necessary  details  with  diffidence,  but  with  the  hope  that  I 
may  suggest  to  you  some  ideas  which  may  be  ripened  to 
maturity. 

Referring  to  plan  No.  1,  I propose  then  to  enclose  the 
basement  story  of  the  two  porticos,  in  the  same  style  of 
piers  and  arches,  as  in  the  wings,  and  to  enter,  under  each 
portico,  a hall  forty  five  feet  by  twenty,  with  apartments 
for  door-keepers  adjoining — to  open  a passage  through 
the  centre  of  the  building,  similar  in  style  and  dimensions 
to  those  already  existing  in  the  wings,  which  I also  con- 
tinue so  as  to  meet  each  other,  thus  forming  a simple  and 
obvious  communication  to  all  parts  of  the  ground  plan.  I 
suppose  the  inner  diameter  of  the  grand  circular  dome  to 
be  ninety  feet,  and  the  thickness  of  the  wall  five.  Nine 
feet  within  this  wall,  I carry  up  a concentric  circular  wall 
of  equal  thickness  to  the  height  of  the  basement  story. 
Between  these  two  walls  I place  grand  quadruple  stairs, 
beginning  at  the  doors  of  the  two  halls,  and  mounting 
on  the  right  and  left,  to  the  floor  of  the  dome  vestibule. 
Twenty  feet  within  this  inner  wall  of  the  stairs,  I raise  a 
third  concentric  circular  wall,  of  equal,  or  (if  required) 
greater  solidity.  At  the  meeting  of  the  two  passages  I 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


269 


thus  obtain  some  variety  of  form,  without  any  diminution 
of  the  requisite  solidity,  and  the  spaces  contained  within 
this  central  wall,  the  inner  wall  of  the  staircase,  and  the 
passages,  will  form  four  large,  or  eight  small  rooms,  for  the 
deposit  of  papers,  &c.  These  rooms  will  be  fire-proof, 
illuminated  and  aired  by  semicircular  windows,  secured 
by  iron  gratings,  and  pierced  through  the  inner  wall  of  the 
staircase,  and  will  be  entered  by  doors  from  the  passages. 
The  spaces  under  the  stairs  I devote  to  vaults  for  coal, 
&c.,  and  in  one  (or  two  if  necessary)  of  the  triangular 
spaces  left  between  the  circle  and  the  space,  I place  the 
fires  necessary  to  warm  the  great  room  above,  by  means 
of  flues  conducted  round  the  whole  and  over  the  two 
inner  circular  walls,  as  in  the  house  of  representatives. 
The  corresponding  plan  will  clearly  explain  this  intricate 
description. 

Plan  No.  2,  represents  the  grand  staircased  vestibule ; 
entering  from  the  two  walls,  stairs  nine  feet  and  lighted 
from  the  dome,  mount  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  vestibule, 
and  land  at  the  entrances  to  the  apartments  of  the  senate 
and  of  the  house  of  representatives.  Around  the  inner 
wall  of  the  stairs,  I propose  a bronze  railing  five  feet  high, 
with  gates  at  the  four  entrances ; by  this  means  the  floor 
of  the  vestibule  is  diminished  to  seventy  feet  diameter, 
and  the  spectator  cannot  approach  nearer  to  the  wall  on 
which  the  paintings  hang  than  ten  feet,  nor  view  them  at 
a greater  distance  than  eighty,  which  being  a little  more 
than  three  diagonals  of  the  surface,  is  not  by  any  means 
too  great.  Thus,  my  dear  sir,  two  objections  are  removed. 

Again,  the  room  being  warmed  by  flues,  no  danger  is  to 
be  feared  from  dampness ; where  it  will  answer  the  essential 
purpose  of  an  entrance  to  both  houses,  and  a place  where 
members  and  their  friends  may  meet  and  converse  at  ease, 


270 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


in  cold  or  warm  weather.  The  warm  air  will  equally 
affect  the  stairs  and  the  record-rooms  below,  to  which  it 
will  be  admitted  freely,  through  the  grated  openings  on  the 
staircase. 

During  the  hours  that  the  houses  are  in  session,  one  of 
their  door-keepers  ought,  for  obvious  reasons,  to  be  in  this 
room,  and  at  all  other  times  the  gates  at  the  four  entrances 
of  the  railing  should  be  kept  locked,  by  which  means  the 
public  will  have  access  here,  only  as  you  propose,  to  the 
saloon,  under  the  eye  of  a proper  guardian ; while  the 
members  of  the  government  will  possess  a splendid  en- 
trance to  their  several  apartments,  and  the  present  entran- 
ces and  stairs  will  become  secondary  in  their  destination, 
as  they  will  be  in  their  dimensions. 

No.  3,  is  a slight  ideal  view  of  the  grand  vestibule  and 
staircase,  as  seen  at  entering  from  the  hall  of  either  portico. 
In  the  centre,  the  passage  is  seen  in  front,  the  stairs  are 
shown  in  their  ascent,  and  the  solid  wall  of  the  record- 
rooms,  with  their  semicircular  windows.  The  railing  is 
also  shown,  with  the  general  proportions  and  decorations 
of  the  grand  room. 

Perhaps  I am  wrong,  for  we  are  all  partial  to  the  off- 
spring of  our  own  minds;  yet  I cannot  but  believe,  that 
the  effect  of  such  a room  would  be  peculiarly  grand  and 
imposing,  from  the  union  of  vastness  of  dimensions  with 
simplicity  of  form  and  decoration.  The  uses  of  the  room 
have  already  been  spoken  of.  I have  only  omitted  to 
observe  the  manner  in  which  it  is  connected  with  the  two 
porticos,  which,  in  fine  weather,  and  on  occasions  of  great 
national  solemnities,  such  as  inaugurations,  &c.,  would 
form  magnificent  accompaniments. 

Having  thus  explained  my  ideas,  (I  hope  intelligibly, 
with  the  aid  of  the  drawings,)  permit  me  to  add  a few 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


271 


words  on  the  important  subject  of  economy,  wThere  I am 
persuaded  there  is  strong  ground  of  recommendation.  1 
w7ant  not  a column  nor  a capital ; plain  solid  walls,  embel- 
lished only  by  four  splendid  door-casings  of  white  marble 
and  elegant  workmanship ; a fascia  of  white  marble  run- 
ning around  the  room,  with  an  ornament  somewhat  like 
that  which  surmounts  the  basement  story  on  the  outside; 
and  a frieze  crowning  the  top  of  the  wall,  where,  either 
now  or  at  some  future  time,  bassft-relievos  may  be  intro- 
duced ; these  are  all  the  decorations  which  1 propose, 
except  the  paintings. 

Compare  now,  my  dear  friend,  the  expenses  of  this 
with  the  sum  which  will  be  necessary  to  introduce  merely 
a staircase,  like  that  in  the  city  hall  here,  which  can  be 
distinguished  from  its  prototype  only  by  greater  dimen- 
sions, and  more  exquisite  decorations.  Twenty-four  Corin- 
thian columns,  at  least,  with  their  capitals,  entablature, 
and  sculptured  dome,  all  in  the  purest  white  marble  and 
choicest  workmanship,  will  be  necessary,  and  after  all  it 
will  be  but  a copy. 

Permit  me  to  add,  that  the  great  circular  room  and 
dome,  made  a part  of  the  earliest  idea  of  the  Capitol,  as 
projected  by  Major  L ’Enfant,  drawn  by  Dr.  Thornton, 
and  adopted  by  General  Washington.  You  will  see  it  so 
marked  on  the  plan  of  the  city  engraved  by  Thackera  &, 
Yallence,  in  Philadelphia,  in  1792.  If  there  be  a dislike  to 
M.  Latrobe’s  plans,  that  dislike  cannot  apply  to  this  part 
of  the  building ; here  he  only  followed  the  original  inten- 
tions. 

I believe  that  my  plan  differs  from  that  finally  adopted 
by  him,  essentially,  in  carrying  up  the  grand  staircase 
within  the  room,  thus  rendering  it  a guard  to  the  paintings, 
and  leaving  the  basement  of  the  two  porticos,  and  the 


272 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


whole  substructure,  free  and  applicable  to  economical  pur- 
poses. I also  omit  the  grand  niches  which  M.  Latrobe 
had  devised,  I presume  for  the  purpose  of  sculpture.  It 
appears  to  me,  that  the  uninterrupted  simplicity  of  the 
room  will  add  to  its  grandeur,  and  that  ample  scope  is  left 
for  sculpture,  either  now  or  hereafter,  in  the  frieze,  while 
abundant  space  is  thus  acquired  upon  the  walls  for  other 
paintings  than  mine. 

I hope,  my  dear  sir,  that  I have  made  myself  under- 
stood, and  I shall  rejoice  if,  either  upon  my  plan  or  some 
other,  you  can  succeed  to  preserve  the  great  central  cir- 
cular room.  Indeed,  I must  entreat  you  to  preserve  it  if 
possible  ; and  I repeat,  that  the  loss  of  that,  in  my  opinion, 
unrivalled  situation  and  light  for  my  pictures,  I shall  lose 
half  my  zeal. 

Forgive  the  earnestness  with  which  I write,  for  I con- 
sider my  future  fame  involved  in  this  question,  and  excuse 
the  inaccuracies  which  may  have  escaped  me. 

I am,  &lc.  &c.  J.  T. 

New  York.  July  25th,  1818. 

Charles  Bulfinch,  Esq.,  Washington. 

Dear  Sir — I received  your  favor  of  April  17th,  in 
proper  time,  and  it  relieved  my  mind  from  no  slight  anx- 
iety, inasmuch  as  your  plan  has  saved  the  grand  room,  and 
gives  at  the  same  time  all  those  various  conveniences 
which  were  indispensably  necessary. 

It  appears  to  me,  that  you  have  extricated  yourself 
most  happily  from  the  multitude  of  contradictory  projects 
with  which  you  was  surrounded.  The  granite  basement 
is,  I presume,  original ; I cannot  recollect  any  example  of 
the  kind,  nor  do  I find  any  among  a collection  of  views  of 
country  seats  in  England,  which  I have.  I believe  the 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


273 


effect  will  prove  as  you  anticipate,  useful  to  the  perspec- 
tive ; but  if  it  should  prove  otherwise,  the  necessity  of  the 
case  justifies  the  novelty  ; and  nothing  can  be  easier  than 
to  disguise  it  by  what  the  English  call  planting  it  out , that 
is,  screening  it  from  distant  view  by  shrubs. 

My  first  painting  approaches  its  completion.  Is  there 
any  place  in  the  building  where  it  can  be  put  up  in  a 
proper  light  1 I should  regret  to  have  it  seen  in  a bad 
one,  and  wish  not  to  have  it  removed  too  often.  It  is  so 
large,  that  few  doors  will  admit  it  when  stretched,  its 
shortest  diameter  being  twelve  feet,  and  I should  not  be 
willing  to  have  it  rolled,  unless  I am  present  1 Will  you 
think  of  this,  and  inform  me  how  and  where  it  can  be 
placed  1 

You  will  forgive  my  long  delay  in  answering  yours;  I 
had  nothing  to  suggest,  and  we  were  both  too  busy  to 
write  or  read  unnecessary  letters. 

I hope  Mrs.  Bulfinch  and  all  your  family  are  well,  and 
Mrs.  Trumbull  unites  with  me  in  best  wishes  for  them  and 
you.  I am,  & c.  J.  T. 

The  foregoing  letter  was  in  answer  to  one  in  which  Mr. 
Bulfinch  gave  me  a detailed  description  of  his  plan  for  the 
present  western  front  of  the  Capitol,  by  which  he  gained 
space  for  the  library,  Si c.,  and  saved  the  dome.  This  let- 
ler  itself  was  lost  (I  presume)  in  the  fire  which  consumed 
the  upper  floor  of  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Barclay 
street. 

New  York,  June  29th,  1818. 

John  Q,.  Adams,  Esq.,  Secretary  of  State. 

Dear  Sir — I take  the  liberty  to  enclose  to  your  care  a 
letter  for  Mr.  Cardelli,  which  I have  just  received  from  his 
friends  in  Europe. 


35 


274 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


You  will  permit  me  to  avail  myself  of  this  occasion,  to 
speak  to  you  of  my  painting.  It  is  so  far  advanced,  that 
I may  safely  promise,  that  the  large  work  will  be  superior 
to  the  small — a result  of  which  I was  by  no  means  secure 
in  the  beginning.  It  would  be  finished  in  two  months 
more,  but  for  the  numerous  and  daily  interruptions  which 
arise  from  the  increasing  curiosity  of  friends  and  stran- 
gers. It  is  difficult  to  refuse  to  my  countrymen,  whether 
personally  known  to  me  or  not,  a view  of  a painting  in 
which  all  are  deeply  interested,  and  for  which  all  must 
contribute  to  pay ; but  the  tax  upon  my  time  becomes 
daily  more  severe,  and  the  delay  of  the  work  is  painful. 

This  has  determined  me  to  request  from  the  President, 
permission  to  exhibit  it  publicly  to  the  view  of  the  citizens, 
previous  to  its  removal  to  Washington.  I shall  then  be 
justified  in  not  showing  it  during  its  progress.  Many  are 
anxious  to  see  it,  and  few  will  have  an  opportunity  after  it 
shall  have  gone  to  its  destination.  At  the  same  time  that 
public  curiosity  will  thus  be  gratified,  I trust  that  the 
exhibition  will  prove  a source  of  some  legitimate  advantage 
to  myself. 

I trust  the  President  will  not  object  to  this.  You  must 
recollect  that  Mr.  Copley  exhibited  his  Gibraltar,  which 
was  painted  for  the  city  of  London,  previously  to  its  being 
put  up  in  Guildhall.  Will  you,  my  dear  sir,  have  the 
goodness  to  make  this  request  known  to  the  President, 
and  solicit  for  me  his  consent.  I do  not  wTrite  to  him  on  the 
subject,  because  I would  not  add  to  his  labors.  Have  the 
goodness  to  assure  him  that  I lose  no  time,  and  spare  no 
labor,  to  render  this  work  worthy  of  its  ultimate  destina- 
tion, and  of  the  national  patronage. 

Please  to  accept  the  assurance  of  Mrs.  Trumbull  and 
myself,  of  our  best  wishes  for  the  health  and  happiness  of 
Mrs.  Adams,  yourself,  and  your  family.  I am,  <Slc. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL.  275 

The  work  went  on  without  interruption,  and  was  finished 
in  1824.  The  following  is  a copy  of  the  final  settlement  of 
my  account  at  the  treasury  of  the  United  States. 


[No.  1546.] 


Treasury  Department,  fifth  Auditor’s  office, 
December  27th,  1824. 


I hereby  certify,  that  I have  examined  and  adjusted  an 
account  between  the  United  States  and  John  Trumbull, 
relative  to  paintings  for  the  Capitol,  and  find  that  he  is 
chargeable  as  follows,  viz. 

To  treasury  warrants,  as  by  register’s  certificate  here- 
with, 

For  No.  476,  dated  March  15th,  1817,  for  $8,000 


it 

234,  * 

a 

4th,  1819,  “ 

6,000 

ti 

9267,  “ 

Nov. 

13th,  1820,  “ 

6,000 

it 

67,  “ 

May 

1st,  1822,  « 

6,000 

it 

5584,  “ 

Dec. 

24th,  1824,  “ 

6,000 

$32,000 

I also  find  that  he 

is  entitled  to  credit,  for  the  following 

historical 

paintings, 

executed 

agreeably  to 

his  contract 

with  Richard  Rush-,  Esq.,  acting  secretary  of  state,  entered 
into  with  him  in  pursuance  of  a resolution  of  Congress, 
passed  on  the  6 th  day  of  February,  1817. 

Declaration  of  Independence,  as  by  voucher  No.  1,  $8,000 
Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  “ “ 2,  8,000 

Surrender  of  Gen.  Rurgoyne,  . “ “ 3,  8,000 

Resignation  by  Gen.  Washington  of  ) <4 
his  commission  to  Congress,  ) 


4,  8,000 


$32,000 


276 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


It  appears  from  the  statement  and  vouchers  herewith 
transmitted,  for  the  decision  of  the  comptroller  of  the  treas- 
ury, therein.  Stephen  Pleasonton,  Auditor . 

To  Joseph  Anderson,  Esq.  Comptroller  of  the  treasury. 

Treasury  Department,  Comptroller’s  office,  o 
December,  29th,  1824.  ) 

Admitted  and  certified, 

Joseph  Anderson,  Comptroller . 

To  Joseph  Nourse,  Esq.,  Register. 

Treasury  Department,  Register’s  office,  > 
December,  29th,  1824.  > 

I hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  report  is  a true  copy 
of  the  original  on  file  in  this  office,  and  that  the  account 
on  which  the  foregoing  advances  were  made  is  finally 
closed  in  the  books  of  this  office. 

Joseph  Nourse,  Register . 

The  last  picture  was  scarcely  finished  in  April,  1824, 
when  I had  the  misfortune  to  lose  my  wife,  who  had  been 
the  faithful  and  beloved  companion  of  all  the  vicissitudes 
of  twenty  four  years.  She  was  the  perfect  personification  of 
truth  and  sincerity — wise  to  counsel,  kind  to  console — by  far 
the  more  important  and  better  moral  half  of  me,  and  withal, 
beautiful  beyond  the  usual  beauty  of  women  ! And  as  if 
this  calamity  was  not  sufficient,  the  friend  who  had  kindly 
advanced  money  for  me  during  my  last  unfortunate  resi- 
dence in  Europe,  found  it  necessary  from  the  state  of  his 
own  affairs,  to  ask  a settlement.  It  was  made,  and  it 
required  all  my  means  to  meet  the  demand.  Every  thing 
however  which  could  be  converted  into  money  was  dispo- 
sed of,  at  whatever  sacrifice,  and  among  other  things,  land 
was  placed  in  the  account  at  ten  thousand  dollars,  which 
would  now  sell  for  one  hundred  thousand. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


277 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Age,  68  to  72 — 1824  to  1828 — 4 years. 

The  grand  central  dome  and  room  saved — Project  for  placing  a statue 
of  Washington  on  the  ground  floor — Leads  to  the  notion  of  a grand 
crypt  or  sepulchral  room — Letters  to  secretary  of  state,  and  architect — 
Went  to  Washington,  in  1824,  to  place  all  the  paintings — Letter  to 
the  speaker. 

I had  assisted  in  saving  the  dome  and  central  grandeur 
of  the  Capitol,  but  whim  and  caprice  ruled  in  the  execu- 
tion of  the  details.  A notion  had  long  prevailed,  that  a 
statue  of  Washington  must  be  placed  in  the  Capitol — and 
where  so  well  as  under  the  centre  of  the  dome,  on  the 
ground  floor,  where  it  would  be  always  accessible  to  and 
under  the  eye  of  the  people ; the  ground  floor  might  then 
become  a magnificent  crypt , and  the  monument  of  the 
father  of  his  country,  surrounded  by  those  of  her  illustrious 
sons,  might  there  seem  still  to  watch  over  and  to  guard 
the  interests  of  the  nation  which  they  had  founded.  The 
idea  was  poetical,  grand,  and  captivating. 

The  statue  being  there,  must  be  lighted,  and  as  the 
projection  of  the  porticos  must  necessarily  screen  all  the 
light  which  might  otherwise  have  been  obtained  from  the 
arches  between  the  piers  of  the  ground  floor,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  the  object  could  only  be  attained  by  letting 
down  light  from  the  summit  of  the  dome  ; and  to  effect 
this,  it  would  be  necessary  also  to  pierce  the  floor  of  the 
grand  room,  with  an  opening  large  enough  for  the  purpose, 
say  twenty  feet  diameter,  at  least.  These  whims  pre- 
vailed, and  the  project  was  adopted.  Of  course,  the 
staircaise  which  I had  recommended,  together  with  the 


278 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


fire-proof  rooms  for  the  preservation  of  important  records, 
&c.,  were  sacrificed,  and  instead  of  the  concentric  walls 
and  simple  arches  of  my  plan,  to  support  the  floor  of  the 
great  room,  a wilderness  of  truncated  columns  and  groined 
arches  were  employed  for  that  purpose,  and  this  wilder- 
ness, called  the  crypt,  very  soon  degenerated  into  a stand 
for  a crowd  of  female  dealers  in  apples,  nuts,  cakes,  liquors, 
&lc.,  for  the  accommodation  of  hackney  coachmen,  ser- 
vants, negroes,  &, c.,  and  becoming  an  intolerable  nuisance, 
was  ultimately  denounced  as  such  by  Mr.  John  Randolph, 
and  abated. 

In  the  mean  time,  I w~as  in  New  York,  busily  employed 
in  finishing  my  picture  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  knew  nothing  of  the  architectural  department,  and  the 
intrigues  which  perpetually  controlled  the  good  intentions 
and  pure  taste  of  Mr.  Bulfinch,  until  I arrived  at  Washing- 
ton with  that  picture.  It  was  placed  temporarily  in  a room 
of  the  north  wing,  then  used  for  the  sittings  of  the  su- 
preme court ; this  part  of  the  building  had  been  first  erec- 
ted, and  was  believed  to  be  perfectly  dry ; yet  this  room 
proved  to  be  damp  to  such  a degree,  that  I thought  it  to 
be  my  duty  to  write  the  following  letter  to  the  secretary 
of  state. 

Washington,  Feb.  18th,  1819. 

To  J.  Q.  Adams,  Esq.,  & c. 

Sir — Having  carefully  examined  the  room  in  the  Capi- 
tol, in  which  the  picture  which  I have  painted  for  the 
government  of  the  United  States  is  at  present  placed,  I 
feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  state  to  you,  for  the  information  of 
the  President,  my  opinion,  that,  in  consequence  of  the 
dampness  of  the  walls  and  vaulting  of  that  room,  it  is  by 
no  means  advisable  that  the  painting  should  remain  there 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


279 


longer  than  may  be  thought  necessary  for  the  satisfaction 
of  the  members  of  the  government,  and  the  immediate 
gratification  of  public  curiosity. 

The  cloth  on  which  this  work  is  executed,  was  prepared 
in  the  most  approved  and  perfect  manner,  by  the  same 
person  who  is  employed  by  Mr.  West,  to  prepare  those 
which  are  the  basis  of  his  admirable  works.  In  this  prep- 
aration, size  is  necessarily  employed,  which  in  damp  situa- 
tions is  subject  to  contract  mildew,  and  of  course  to  decay  ; 
and  no  dampness  is  found  to  be  so  fatal  to  paintings,  as 
the  exhalations  from  newly  erected  masonry,  where  the 
corrosive  quality  of  lime  is  added  to  the  pernicious  effect 
of  mere  moisture.  I am,  &c. 

When,  in  1823,  the  last  of  the  four  paintings  approached 
its  termination,  I wrote  to  Mr.  Bulfinch,  the  architect,  the 
following  letter. 

New  York,  Dec.  15th,  1823. 

Charles  Bulfinch,  Esq.,  &c.  &c. 

Dear  Sir — My  last  painting  for  the  Capitol,  the  Resig- 
nation of  Washington,  although  far  advanced,  will  not  be 
ready  to  deliver  during  the  present  session  ; but,  trusting 
from  your  last  letter,  that  the  great  room  will  be  quite 
finished,  dry,  and  ready  to  receive  them  all  at  some  time 
during  the  approaching  summer,  and  before  the  next  ses- 
sion, I wish  to  arrange  with  you,  the  time  when  all  will 
be  prepared  and  dry,  that  I may  come  on  and  see  them 
all  put  in  their  places. 

It  will  be  necessary  that  the  pannels  on  which  they  are 
to  be  strained,  should  be  prepared  in  the  mean  time,  of 
perfectly  seasoned  mahogany  or  cedar,  and  also  the  gilt 
frames. 


280 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


Two  young  men  of  this  town,  whom  I have  em- 
ployed for  some  time,  and  regard  as  excellent  workmen, 
Messrs.  Parker  and  Clover,  are  desirous  of  being  em- 
ployed to  execute  the  gilt  frames,  and  should  there 
be  no  other  arrangement,  I beg  leave  to  recommend  them 
strongly  to  you,  and  to  the  commissioner  of  the  public 
buildings. 

Mrs.  Trumbull  joins  me  in  best  wishes  for  the  health 
and  happiness  of  Mrs.  Bulfinch,  yourself,  and  family. 

I am,  &,c.  &c.  J.  T. 

When,  in  1824,  I went  to  Washington,  to  place  all  the 
paintings  in  their  ultimate  destination,  I found  the  grand 
room  finished  indeed,  but  so  very  damp  that  I felt  great 
reluctance  in  placing  them  there,  and  insisted  most  stren- 
uously upon  having  the  great  opening  in  the  centre  of  the 
room,  which  had  been  left  for  the  purpose  of  lighting  the 
crypt,  closed ; for,  as  the  arches  behind  and  under  the 
porticos  were  closed  only  by  iron  grilles,  the  external  air  was 
freely  admitted  into  the  crypt,  in  all  varieties  of  weather,  as 
well  by  night  as  by  day,  and  thence,  by  means  of  this  un- 
fortunate and  ill  judged  opening,  distributed  through  the 
great  room,  to  every  part  of  the  principal  floor  of  the 
building,  rendering  the  atmosphere  of  all  the  apartments 
equally  damp  and  cold  as  the  weather  in  the  open  square. 
My  remonstrances,  however,  were  all  in  vain ; and  in  this 
situation  the  four  paintings  were  placed  and  remained, 
until,  in  1828,  the  change  on  their  surfaces  became  obvi- 
ous and  conspicuous  to  all  who  saw  them,  and  occasioned 
the  resolution  of  the  house  of  representatives  alluded  to  in 
the  following  report,  which  I addressed  to  the  speaker  of 
the  house  on  the  9th  of  December,  1828. 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


281 


Twentieth  Congress, 
Second  Session. 


i 


[Doc.  No.  10.]  Ho.  of  Reps. 


NATIONAL  PAINTINGS. 

Letter  from  John  Trumbull,  to  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives , on  the  subject  of  the  national  paintings  in  the 
rotunda  of  the  Capitol , Dec.  9 th,  1828,  read , and  laid  upon 
the  table. 

To  the  Honorable,  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 

United  States. 

Sir — On  the  30th  of  May  last,  I received  from  the  com- 
missioner of  the  public  buildings,  a copy  of  the  resolution 
of  the  honorable  the  house  of  representatives,  dated  the 
26th  of  May,  authorizing  him  to  take,  under  my  direction, 
the  proper  measures  for  securing  the  paintings  in  the 
rotunda  from  the  effect  of  dampness. 

I had  always  regarded  the  perpetual  admission  of  damp 
air  into  the  rotunda  from  the  crypt  below,  as  the  great  cause 
of  the  evil  required  to  be  remedied,  and  of  course  consid- 
ered the  effectual  closing  of  the  aperture  which  had  been 
left  in  the  centre  of  the  floor  as  an  indispensable  part  of  the 
remedy.  I had  communicated  my  opinions  on  this  subject 
to  the  chairman  of  the  committee  on  public  buildings,  and 
had  been  informed  that  this  had  been  ordered  to  be  done. 

So  soon,  therefore,  as  I received  information  from  the 
commissioner  that  this  work  was  completed,  (as  well  as 
an  alteration  in  the  sky-light,  which  I had  suggested,)  and 
that  the  workmen  and  incumbrances  were  removed  out 
of  the  room,  I came  on  and  proceeded  to  take  the  several 
measures  for  the  preservation  of  the  paintings,  which  are 
stated  in  detail  in  the  following  report,  which  I beg  leave 
to  submit  to  the  house. 


36 


282 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


1st.  All  the  paintings  were  taken  down,  removed  from 
their  frames,  taken  off  from  the  pannels  over  which  they 
are  strained,  removed  to  a dry  warm  room,  and  there  sep- 
arately and  carefully  examined.  The  material  which  forms 
the  basis  of  these  paintings  is  a linen  cloth,  whose  strength 
and  texture  is  very  similar  to  that  used  for  the  topgallant- 
sails  of  a ship  of  war.  The  substances  employed  to  form 
a proper  surface  for  the  artist,  together  with  the  colors, 
oils,  &,c.,  employed  by  him  in  his  work,  form  a sufficient 
protection  for  the  threads  of  the  canvass  on  this  face, 
but  the  back  remains  bare,  and  of  course  exposed  to  the 
deleterious  influence  of  damp  air.  The  effect  of  this  is 
first  seen  in  the  form  of  mildew — it  was  this  which  I 
dreaded ; and  the  examination  showed  that  mildew  was 
already  commenced,  to  an  extent  which  rendered  it  man- 
ifest that  the  continuance  of  the  same  exposure  which 
they  had  hitherto  undergone,  for  a very  few  years  longer, 
would  have  accomplished  the  complete  decomposition  or 
rotting  of  the  canvass,  and  the  consequent  destruction  of 
the  paintings.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  dry  the 
canvass  perfectly,  which  was  done  by  laying  down  each 
picture  successively  on  its  face,  upon  a clean  dry  car- 
pet, and  exposing  the  back  to  the  influence  of  the 
warmth  of  a dry  and  well  aired  room.  The  next  thing 
was  to  devise  and  apply  some  substance,  which  would 
act  permanently  as  a preservative  against  future  possible 
exposure. 

I had  learned  that  a few  years  ago,  some  of  the  eminent 
chemists  of  France  had  examined  with  great  care,  several 
of  the  ancient  mummies  of  Egypt,  with  a view  to  ascer- 
tain the  nature  of  the  materials  employed  by  the  embalm- 
ers,  which  the  lapse  of  so  many  ages  had  proved  to  pos- 
sess the  power  of  protecting  from  decay  a substance  oth- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


283 


erwise  so  perishable  as  the  human  body.  This  examina- 
tion had  proved,  that  after  the  application  of  liquid  asphal- 
tum  to  the  cavities  of  the  head  and  body,  the  whole  had 
been  wrapped  carefully  in  many  envelopes  or  bandages  of 
linen  prepared  with  wax.  The  committee  of  chemists  de- 
cided further,  after  a careful  examination  and  analysis  of 
the  hieroglyphic  paintings  with  which  the  cases,  &c.  are 
covered,  that  the  colors  employed,  and  still  retaining  their 
vivid  brightness,  had  also  been  prepared  and  applied  with 
the  same  substance. 

I also  knew,  that  towards  the  close  of  the  last  century, 
the  Antiquarian  Society  of  England  had  been  permitted 
to  open  and  examine  the  stone  coffin  deposited  in  one  of 
the  vaults  of  Westminster  Abbey,  and  said  to  contain  the 
body  of  King  Edward  I.  who  died  in  July,  1307.  On 
removing  the  stone  lid  of  the  coffin,  its  contents  were 
found  to  be  closely  enveloped  in  a strong  linen  cloth 
waxed ; within  this  envelope  were  found  splendid  robes 
of  silk,  enriched  with  various  ornaments,  covering  the 
body,  which  was  found  to  be  entire,  and  to  have  been 
wrapped  carefully  in  all  its  parts,  even  to  each  separate 
finger,  in  bandages  of  fine  linen,  which  had  been  dipped  in 
melted  wax  ; and  not  only  was  the  body  not  decomposed, 
but  the  various  parts  of  the  dress,  such  as  a scarlet  satin 
mantle,  and  a scarlet  piece  of  sarsnet,  which  was  placed 
over  the  face,  were  in  perfect  preservation,  even  to  their 
colors.  The  knowledge  of  these  facts,  persuaded  me 
that  wax,  applied  to  the  back  of  the  paintings,  would  form 
the  best  defense  hitherto  known  to  exist  against  the 
destructive  effects  of  damp  and  stagnant  air;  and  there- 
fore, 

2dly.  Common  bees’  wax  was  melted  over  a fire,  with 
an  equal  quantity  (in  bulk)  of  oil  of  turpentine,  and  this 


284 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


mixture,  by  the  help  of  large  brushes,  was  applied  hot  to 
the  back  of  each  cloth,  and  was  afterwards  rubbed  in, 
with  hot  irons,  until  the  cloths  were  perfectly  saturated. 

3dly.  In  the  mean  time,  the  niches  in  the  solid  wall,  in 
which  the  paintings  are  placed,  were  carefully  plastered 
with  hydraulic  cement,  to  prevent  the  possible  exudation 
of  any  moisture  from  the  wall ; and,  as  there  is  a space 
from  two  to  eight  inches  deep  between  the  surface  of  the 
wall  and  the  pannels  on  which  the  cloths  are  strained,  I 
caused  small  openings  to  be  cut  in  the  wall,  above  and 
under  the  edge  of  the  frames,  and  communicating  with 
those  vacant  spaces,  for  the  purpose  of  admitting  the  air 
of  the  room  behind  the  paintings,  and  thus  keeping  up  a 
constant  ventilation,  by  means  of  which  the  same  temper- 
ature of  air  will  be  maintained  at  the  back  of  the  paint- 
ings as  on  their  face. 

4thly.  The  cloths  were  finally  strained  upon  pannels,  for 
the  purpose  of  guarding  against  injury  from  careless  or 
intentional  blows  of  sticks,  canes,  &lc.,  or  from  children’s 
missiles.  These  pannels  are  perforated  with  many  holes, 
to  admit  the  air  freely  to  the  back  of  the  cloths;  and  being 
dried,  were  carefully  painted,  to  prevent  the  wood  from 
absorbing  or  transmitting  any  humidity.  The  whole  being 
then  restored  to  their  places,  were  finally  cleaned  with  care, 
and  slighly  re-varnished. 

5thly.  As  the  accumulation  of  dust,  arising  from  sweep- 
ing so  large  a room,  and  what  is  much  worse,  the  filth  of 
flies,  (the  most  destructive  enemies  of  painting,)  if  not 
carefully  guarded  against,  renders  necessary  the  frequent 
washing  and  cleaning  of  the  surface  of  pictures,  every 
repetition  of  which  is  injurious,  I have  directed  curtains  to 
be  placed,  which  can  be  drawn  in  front  of  the  whole, 
whenever  the  room  is  to  be  swept,  as  well  as  in  the  recess 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


285 


of  the  legislature  during  the  summer  months,  when  flies 
are  most  pernicious. 

6thly.  As  nothing  is  more  obvious  than  the  impossibility 
of  keeping  a room  warm  and  dry  by  means  of  fire,  so  long 
as  doors  are  left  open  for  the  admission  of  the  external 
air,  I have  further  directed  self-closing  baize  doors  to  be 
prepared,  and  placed  so  that  they  will  unavoidably  close 
behind  every  one  who  shall  either  enter  or  leave  the  room. 

When  the  doors  are  kept  closed,  and  fires  are  lighted  in 
the  furnaces  below  to  supply  warm  air,  I find  that  the  tem- 
perature of  this  vast  apartment  is  easily  maintained  at 
about  sixty-three  degrees  Fahrenheit ; and  the  simple  pre- 
caution of  closed  doors  being  observed,  in  addition  to  the 
others  which  I have  employed,  I entertain  no  doubt,  that 
these  paintings  are  now  perfectly  and  permanently  secured 
against  the  deleterious  effects  of  dampness. 

I regret  that  I was  not  authorized  to  provide  against  the 
danger  of  damage  by  violence,  whether  intended  or  acci- 
dental. Curiosity  naturally  leads  men  to  touch  as  well  as 
to  look  at  objects  of  this  kind,  and  placed  as  low  as  they 
are,  not  only  the  gilded  frames  and  curtains,  but  the  paint- 
ings, are  within  the  reach  of  spectators ; repeated  hand- 
ling, even  by  the  best  intentioned  and  most  careful,  will 
in  the  course  of  time  produce  essential  damage.  But  one 
of  the  paintings  testifies  to  the  possibility  of  their  being 
approached  for  the  very  purpose  of  doing  injury ; the 
right  foot  of  General  Morgan,  in  the  picture  of  Saratoga, 
was  cut  off  with  a sharp  instrument,  apparently  a pen- 
knife. I have  repaired  the  W'ound,  but  the  scar  remains 
visible.  If  I had  possessed  the  authority,  I should  have 
placed  in  front,  and  at  the  distance  of  not  less  than  ten 
feet  from  the  wall,  an  iron  railing,  of  such  strength  and 
elevation  as  should  form  a complete  guard  against  injury 


286 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


by  ill-disposed  persons,  unless  they  should  employ  missiles 
of  some  force. 

I beg  leave  to  commend  to  the  attention  of  the  house, 
this  further  precaution. 

All  which  is  most  respectfully  submitted  to  the  house, 
by  John  Trumbull. 


\ 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


287 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Age,  72  to  85 — 1828  to  1840 — 12  years. 

Contract  finished — Sense  of  desolation — Strong  impression  of  the  impor- 
tance of  the  work  on  the  Revolution — Resolve  to  execute  another  set 
of  a smaller  size  than  those  in  the  Capitol,  six  by  nine  feet — While  on 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  slight  attack  of  cholera — Recover 
and  go  on — Funds  run  low — Many  pictures  unsold,  and  to  all  appear- 
ance unsalable — Thought  occurs  of  selling  for  an  annuity — Origin  of 
the  Trumbull  Gallery — Contract — Source  of  my  present  subsistence, 
and  of  pleasant  reflections  on  their  utility  when  I am  gone — Interme- 
diate set  of  Revolution  not  included — Five  of  those  finished — Intend 
to  finish  the  other  three. 


My  contract  with  the  government  was  thus  honorably 
fulfilled  ; the  paintings  were  placed  in  the  Capitol,  and  so 
far  as  my  skill  extended,  they  were  secured  from  ruin  by 
dampness.  My  debts  were  paid,  but  I had  the  world 
before  me  to  begin  anew.  I had  passed  the  term  of  three- 
score years  and  ten,  the  allotted  period  of  human  life.  My 
best  friend  was  removed  from  me,  and  I had  no  child.  A 
sense  of  loneliness  began  to  creep  over  my  mind,  yet  my 
hand  was  steady,  and  my  sight  good,  and  I felt  the  vis  vita 
strong  within  me.  Why  then  sink  down  into  premature 
imbecility  ? 

I was  strongly  impressed  with  a sense  of  the  importance 
of  those  great  events  which  had  brought  into  existence  a 
mighty  empire  and  a new  world,  and  although  the  actual 
government  had  stopped  short  and  forgotten  (if  indeed 
they  ever  knew)  the  beautiful  language  of  our  Savior, 
in  his  last  conversation  with  his  disciples,  as  recorded  by 
St.  John,  “ that  greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this , that  a 


288 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends ,”  and  had  omitted  to 
shew  the  gratitude  of  the  nation  to  those  eminent  patriots 
who  had  given  their  lives  for  their  country  at  Bunker’s 
Hill,  at  Quebec,  and  at  Princeton,  still  I doubted  not,  that 
at  some  future  period  sentiments  more  just  and  more  dig- 
nified would  prevail,  nor  that  future  generations  would 
thank  me  for  what  I had  done  to  preserve  the  remem- 
brance of  the  great  and  good  men  of  that  memorable 
period. 

I resolved,  therefore,  to  begin  a new  series  of  my  paint- 
ings of  revolutionary  subjects,  of  a smaller  size  than  those 
in  the  Capitol,  and  to  solace  my  heavy  hours  by  working 
on  them.  I chose  the  size  of  six  feet  by  nine,  and  began. 

The  cholera  made  its  appearance  in  New  York,  soon 
after  I commenced,  and  was  peculiarly  fatal  in  the  sixth 
ward,  in  which  I lived.  I was  busily  employed  upon  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  when  I was  attacked  by 
this  deadly  disease,  but,  by  the  blessing  of  Providence  on 
the  kind  care  of  my  friends,  it  passed  away  in  a few  days, 
and  without  any  serious  consequences. 

Funds,  however,  began  to  diminish,  and  I sold  scraps  of 
furniture,  fragments  of  plate,  &c.  Many  pictures  remained 
in  my  hands  unsold,  and  to  all  appearance  unsaleable.  At 
length  the  thought  occurred  to  me,  that  although  the  hope 
of  a sale  to  the  nation,  or  to  a state,  became  more  and 
more  desperate  from  day  to  day,  yet,  in  an  age  of  specu- 
lation, it  might  be  possible,  that  some  society  might  be  will- 
ing to  possess  these  paintings,  on  condition  of  paying  by 
a life  annuity.  I first  thought  of  Harvard  College,  my 
alma  mater,  but  she  was  rich,  and  amply  endowed.  I 
then  thought  of  Yale — although  not  my  alma,  yet  she  was 
within  my  native  state,  and  poor.  I hinted  this  idea  to  a 
friend,  (Mr.  Alfred  Smith,  of  Hartford,) — it  took — was  fol- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


289 


lowed  up,  and  resulted  in  a contract,  of  which  the  following 
is  a copy. 

“ This  indenture,  made  the  nineteenth  day  of  Decem- 
“ her,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
“ and  thirty  one,  between  John  Trumbull,  of  the  city  and 
“ state  of  New  York,  Esquire,  of  the  first  part,  and  the  Pres- 
“ ident  and  Fellows  of  Yale  College  in  New  Haven,  of  the 
“ second  part,  witnesseth,  that  the  said  John  Trumbull,  in 
“consideration  that  the  said  parties  of  the  second  part 
“ have  executed  a bond  or  obligation,  whereby  they  have 
“ bound  themselves  to  pay  to  him  during  his  natural  life 
“ an  annuity  of  one  thousand  dollars  a year,  in  the  manner 
“ and  at  the  times  specified  in  the  condition  of  the  said 
“ bond ; and  also  in  consideration  of  his  good  will  towards 
“ Yale  College,  and  his  desire  to  promote  its  prosperity, 
“ hath  granted,  bargained,  sold  and  conveyed,  and  hereby 
“ doth  grant,  bargain,  sell  and  convey,  to  the  parties  of  the 
“ second  part  and  their  successors,  all  the  pictures  or  paint- 
“ ings  mentioned  in  the  schedule  to  this  indenture,  an- 
“ nexed,  to  have  and  to  hold  the  same  upon  the  conditions 
“ and  for  the  purposes  herein  mentioned,  provided  always 
“ and  nevertheless,  and  these  presents  are  upon  condition, 
“ that  if  the  said  annuity,  or  any  part  thereof,  shall  be 
“ behind  or  unpaid  by  the  space  of  fifteen  days  next  after 
“ any  of  the  days  of  payment  whereon  the  same  ought  to 
“ be  paid,  pursuant  to  the  condition  of  the  said  bond,  or 
“ if  default  shall  be  made  in  any  of  the  covenants  or  agree- 
“ ments  herein  contained,  on  the  part  and  behalf  of  the 
“ parties  of  the  second  part,  or  their  successors,  to  be  kept 
“ and  performed  then  and  from  thenceforth,  it  shall  and 
“ may  be  lawful  for  the  said  John  Trumbull,  his  executors, 
“administrators  or  assigns,  to  retake  and  repossess  the 
“ said  paintings,  and  the  same  to  have  again,  repossess 

37 


290 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


“ and  enjoy,  as  in  his  first  and  former  estate,  any  thing 
“ herein  contained  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  And 
“ it  is  covenanted  and  agreed  by  and  between  the  parties 
“ to  these  presents,  in  manner  following,  that  is  to  say, 
“ that  the  parties  of  the  second  part  shall  erect  upon  land 
“ belonging  to  them  in  New  Haven,  a fire-proof  building 
“ for  the  reception  of  the  said  paintings,  which  building 
“ shall  be  finished  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  October,  in 
“ the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
“ thirty  two,  and  shall  be  of  such  form  and  dimensions  as 
“ shall  be  approved  of  by  the  said  John  Trumbull,  and  the 
“ said  paintings  shall  be  placed  and  arranged  in  the  said 
“building,  under  the  directions  and  superintendence  of 
“ the  said  John  Trumbull.  The  said  paintings,  after  they 
“ shall  be  so  placed  and  arranged,  shall  be  exhibited,  and 
“ the  profits  of  such  exhibition  shall  be  received  by  the 
“ parties  of  the  second  part,  and  applied  in  the  first  place 
“ towards  the  payment  of  the  said  annuity  during  the  life 
“ of  the  said  John  Trumbull,  and  the  whole  of  such  profits 
“ after  his  death,  (except  in  the  case  hereafter  mentioned,) 
“ shall  be  perpetually  appropriated  towards  defraying  the 
“ expense  of  educating  poor  scholars  in  Yale  College, 
“ under  such  regulations  as  the  said  President  and  Fel- 
“ lows,  and  their  successors,  shall  from  time  to  time  see 
“ fit  to  make.  And  if  the  profits  of  such  exhibition  shall 
“ not,  during  the  life  of  the  said  John  Trumbull,  be  suffi- 
“ cient  to  discharge  the  said  annuity,  then  the  said  parties 
« of  the  second  part  may  borrow  as  much  money  as  may 
“ be  necessary  for  that  purpose,  and  the  profits  of  the  said 
“ exhibition,  after  the  decease  of  the  said  John  Trumbull, 
“ shall  be  applied  to  discharge  the  principal  and  interest  of 
“ the  debt  which  shall  thus  have  been  incurred,  and  after 
“ the  said  debt  shall  be  extinguished,  then  the  whole  profits 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


291 


* of  the  said  exhibition  shall  be  applied  towards  defraying 
“ the  expense  of  the  education  of  poor  scholars,  in  manner 
“ aforesaid.  And  it  is  further  expressly  agreed,  that  the 
“ said  paintings  shall  never  be  sold,  alienated,  divided  or 
“ dispersed,  but  shall  always  be  kept  together,  and  exhib- 
“ ited  as  aforesaid,  by  the  said  parties  of  the  second  part, 
“ and  their  successors,  and  that  the  profits  of  such  exhibi- 
“ tion  shall  be  sacredly  applied  to  the  purposes  before 
“ mentioned,  and  to  no  other. 

“In  witness  whereof,  the  parties  to  these  presents 
“ have  interchangeably  executed  the  same,  that  is  to 
“ say,  the  said  John  Trumbull  hath  to  one  part  of 
“ these  presents  set  his  hand  and  seal,  and  the  said 
“ President  and  Fellows  of  Yale  College,  in  New 
“ Haven,  have  to  another  part  of  these  presents  caused 
“ their  corporate  seal  to  be  affixed,  on  the  day  and 
“ year  first  above  written. 

“ Jeremiah  Day,  President  of  Yale  College. 

“ Signed  by  the  President  of  the  College,  in  my  pres- 
“ ence.  Witness  the  seal  of  the  College. 

“Elizur  Goodrich,  Secretary  of  Yale  College.” 

Schedule  referred  to  in  the  annexed  instrument , being  a list 
of  the  paintings  thereby  conveyed  to  the  President  and 
Fellows  of  Yale  College , in  JYew  Haven. 

Eight  original  paintings  of  subjects  from  the  American 
revolution,  viz. 

1.  The  Battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  size  2 by  3 feet 

2.  The  Death  of  Gen.  Mont- 
gomery at  Quebec, 

3.  The  Declaration  of  Independence,  20  by  30  inches. 

4.  The  Battle  of  Trenton,  do.  do. 

5.  The  Battle  of  Princeton,  do.  do. 


do.  do. 


292 


SKETCH  OF  THE 


6.  The  Surrender  of  Gen.  Burgoyne,  20  by  30  inches. 

7.  The  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  do.  do. 

8.  Washington  resigning  his  Commission,  do.  do. 

Our  Savior  with  little  children. 

The  woman  accused  of  adultery. 

Peter  the  Great  at  Narva. 

Madonna  and  Children,  copied  from  Raphael. 

St.  Jerome,  Madonna,  <$lc.,  copied  from  Correggio. 

Infant  Savior,  St.  John  and  Lamb. 

Holy  Family. 

St.  John  and  Lamb. 

Maternal  Tenderness. 

Portrait  of  President  Washington. 

Do.  of  Alexander  Hamilton. 

Do.  of  Rufus  King. 

Do.  of  Christopher  Gore. 

Six  frames,  each  containing  five  miniature  portraits  of 
persons  distinguished  during  the  Revolution. 

Jeremiah  Day,  President  of  Yale  College. 

“ Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  we,  the  Presi- 
dent and  Fellows  of  Yale  College  in  New  Haven,  are 
“ held  and  firmly  bound  unto  John  Trumbull,  of  the  city 
“and  state  of  New  York,  Esquire,  in  the  sum  of  twenty 
“ thousand  dollars  lawful  money  of  the  United  States  of 
“ America,  tc  be  paid  to  the  said  John  Trumbull,  his  cer- 
“ tain  attorney,  executors,  administrators  or  assigns,  for 
“ which  payment  we  bind  ourselves  and  our  successors 
“ firmly  by  these  presents,  sealed  with  our  corporate  seal, 
“ and  dated  the  nineteenth  day  of  December,  in  the  year 
“ of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty  one. 

“ The  condition  of  the  above  obligation  is  such,  that  if 
“the  above  bounden  obligors  shall  and  do  yearly  and 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL. 


293 


“ every  year  for  and  during  the  natural  life  of  the  said 
“ John  Trumbull,  well  and  truly  pay  or  cause  to  be  paid 
“ to  him  or  to  his  certain  attorney  or  assigns,  an  annuity  or 
“ clear  yearly  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  lawful  money  of 
“ the  United  States  of  America,  in  even  quarterly  payments 
“ to  be  made  on  the  four  following  days  in  the  year,  that  is 
“ to  say,  on  the  first  day  of  October,  the  first  day  of  Jan- 
“ uary,  the  first  day  of  April,  and  the  first  day  of  July  in 
“ every  year,  by  even  and  equal  portions,  the  first  pay- 
“ ment  thereof  to  begin  and  be  made  on  the  first  day  of 
“ October,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
“ hundred  and  thirty  two, — then  the  above  obligations  to 
“ be  void,  else  to  remain  in  full  force  and  virtue. 

“ Jeremiah  Day,  President  of  Yale  College. 

“ Signed  by  the  President  of  the  College,  in  my  pres- 
“ ence.  Witness  the  seal  of  the  College.  Certified, 

“Elizur  Goodrich,  Secretary  of  Yale  College.” 

Should  any  one  take  the  trouble  of  comparing  the  fore- 
going schedule  with  the  catalogue  of  the  paintings  now  in 
the  Gallery,  it  will  be  found  that  the  actual  number  ex- 
ceeds the  schedule  by  nearly  one  half.  Several  of  these 
additions  have  been  painted  and  added  to  the  Gallery 
since  the  date  of  the  original  agreement.  The  last  of 
these,  viz.  the  Deluge,  and  the  two  copies  of  the  Transfig- 
uration and  the  Communion  of  St.  Jerome,  were  painted 
during  the  years  1838  and  1839. 

The  Gallery  now  contains  fifty  five  pictures  by  my  own 
hand,  painted  at  various  periods,  from  my  earliest  essay  of 
the  Battle  of  Cannae,  to  my  last  composition,  the  Deluge, 
including  the  eight  small  original  pictures  of  the  American 
revolution,  which  contain  the  portraits  painted  from  life. 


294 


SKETCH,  &C. 


Thus  I derive  present  subsistence  principally  from  this 
source,  and  have  besides  the  happy  reflection,  that  when  I 
shall  have  gone  to  my  rest,  these  works  will  remain  a 
source  of  good  to  many  a poor,  perhaps  meritorious  and 
excellent  man. 

The  large  set  of  Revolutionary  paintings  was  not  in- 
cluded in  this  contract,  and  indeed,  at  its  date,  they  did 
not  exist,  having  been  painted  since.  Five  of  the  series 
are  finished,  and  should  my  long  life  be  still  further  pro- 
longed, I trust  they  will  all  be  completed,  and  they  will 
remain  a legacy  for  posterity. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


[No.  1.— Chap.  I.] 

[The  papers  which  are  copied  from  Gov.  Trumbull’s  MSS.,  preserved  in  the 
archives  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society  at  Boston,  are  indicated  by  the 
reference  at  the  end  of  each  to  the  volume  containing  the  same.] 

Cambridge,  April  8,  1772. 

Hon.  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Governor  of  Connecticut. 

Sir — It  gives  me  very  great  pleasure  to  acquaint  you,  that  your 
son’s  character  and  reception  here  are  such  as  a tender  parent 
would  wish  a child  to  have.  His  tutors  speak  well  of  him  as  a 
scholar  ; and  I believe  all  with  whom  he  is  conversant  approve 
of  his  modest  and  affable  deportment.  I mention  these  things, 
because  I know  the  anxious  care  of  a prudent  parent  to  learn  the 
knowledge  of  his  child’s  behavior  from  such  as  are  likely  to  com- 
municate it  without  partiality  or  prejudice.  In  this  class  I may 
rank  myself,  unless,  perhaps,  my  fondness  for  his  brother  may 
have  given  me  a little  bias  in  his  favor.  You  may  be  assured, 
Hon.  Sir,  that  his  engaging  behavior  to  myself  and  family  will 
secure  to  him,  from  a principle  of  affection,  the  best  advice  and 
assistance  upon  all  occasions  that  I shall  be  capable  of  affording 
him.  It  is  my  sincere  desire,  and  from  what  I have^  yet  seen, 
I have  good  reason  to  hope  that  the  precautions  you  have 
taken  to  secure  his  industry  and  virtue  may  be  crowned  with 
success. 

Mrs.  Kneeland  begs  leave  to  present  her  duty  to  yourself  and 
lady,  together  with  that  of  your  honor’s  most  respectful,  most 
obedient,  and  most  humble  servant,  William  Kneeland. 

[ Yol.  Ill,  p.  342.] 


38 


298 


APPENDIX. 


To  the  same. 

Cambridge,  14th  July,  1772. 

Honored  Sir — After  presenting  Mrs.  Kneeland’s  and  my  duti- 
ful regards  to  yourself  and  lady,  I would  acquaint  you  that  it 
will  be  very  agreeable  to  us  to  have  your  son  continue  with  us 
the  coming  year.  We  will  take  care  of  him  as  of  our  own ; for 
such  in  sort  we  consider  him. 

I find  he  has  a natural  genius  and  disposition  for  limning.  As 
a knowledge  of  that  art  will  probably  be  of  no  use  to  him,  I 
submit  to  your  consideration  whether  it  would  not  be  best  to 
endeavor  to  give  him  a turn  to  the  study  of  perspective,  a branch 
of  mathematics,  the  knowledge  of  which  will  at  least  be  a gen- 
teel accomplishment,  and  may  be  greatly  useful  in  future  life. 

I am  your  honor’s  most  dutiful,  most  obedient,  and  very  hum- 
ble servant,  William  Kneeland. 

[Vol.  Ill,  p.  400.] 

To  Doct.  William  Kneeland. 

Lebanon,  August  10th,  1772. 

Sir — I received  by  my  son  your  obliging  favor  of  the  14th  of 
July  last.  Please  to  accept  the  return  of  Mrs.  Trumbull’s  and 
my  kind  regards  to  yourself  and  lady,  and  of  our  thanks  for  the 
kindness  shewn  our  son,  and  for  your  willingness  to  have  him 
continue  with  you  this  year,  and  to  take  care  of  him  as  your 
own. 

I am  sensible  of  his  natural  genius  and  inclination  for  limning  ; 
an  art  I have  frequently  told  him  will  be  of  no  use  to  him.  I 
have  mentioned  to  him  the  study  of  the  mathematics,  and  among 
other  branches,  that  of  perspective,  hoping  to  bring  on  a new 
habit  and  turn  of  his  mind. 

I direct  him.  to  diligence  in  his  studies,  and  application  to  the 
various  branches  of  learning  taught  in  college.  Please  to  afford 
him  your  advice  and  assistance  on  every  needful  occasion. 

I am,  with  great  truth  and  esteem,  dear  sir,  your  most  obedient, 
humble  servant,  Jonathan  Trumbull. 

[Yol.  III.] 


APPENDIX. 


299 


[No.  2.— Chap.  II,  p.  28.] 

To  Dr.  Meyrick,  Wilbraham,  Mass. 

New  York,  April  2,  1835. 

Dear  Sir — I have  frequently  recollected  with  great  satisfac- 
tion, the  visit  you  was  so  good  as  to  make  me  at  Mrs.  Lathrop’s, 
two  years  ago,  and  your  very  interesting  account  of  the  retreat 
of  the  army  from  Canada  in  1776,  and  their  miserable  sufferings 
by  small  pox,  fatigue,  and  privation. 

May  I ask  the  favor  of  you  to  commit  to  writing  your  recol- 
lections of  that  period,  from  the  death  of  General  Thomas,  or 
earlier,  to  the  end  of  the  campaign.  I am  induced  to  write  my 
reminiscences  of  that  period ; and  as  your  account  is  the  most 
perfect  corroboration  of  mine,  I shall  be  in  the  highest  degree 
obliged  to  you  to  furnish  them.  J.  T. 

Answer. 

Sir — It  is  some  time  since  I received  your  kind  letter.  Should 
have  answered  it  sooner,  but  my  health  was  poor.  I am  now 
better. 

As  to  the  northern  expedition,  I find  by  my  minutes  then 
kept,  that  on  the  21st  of  May,  1776,  at  Sorel,  where  the  river  of 
that  name  enters  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  army  was  on  its  retreat 
from  Quebec,  commanded  by  General  Thomas,  who  on  that  day 
broke  out  of  the  small  pox.  We  soon  retreated  up  the  river  to 
Chambly,  forty-five  miles,  and  ten  from  St.  John’s.  General 
Thomas  was  carried  with  us,  and  on  the  2d  of  June  he  died.  It 
has  been  said  that  he  died  at  Sorel,  but  it  is  a mistake — he  died 
at  Chambly.  On  the  20th  of  June  we  marched  to  St.  John’s, 
and  about  sunset  we  went  on  board  boats  for  the  Isle  aux  Noix. 
Orders  were  peremptory  not  to  stop  a moment.  There  were  but 
two  rowers  to  a boat ; they  rowed  till  I thought  they  would  fall 
from  their  seats.  I,  who  was  not  obliged  to  go  on  fatigue  duty, 
could  not  see  the  men  so  worried,  took  an  oar  myself,  and  rowed 
half  the  night.  We  arrived  at  the  Isle  aux  Noix  about  two  hours 
before  day ; the  sick  were  thrown  on  shore,  and  in  five  minutes 


300 


APPENDIX. 


the  boats  were  on  their  return.  I was  left  with  the  sick.  I had 
tents,  but  I could  not  pitch  them  in  the  night.  I covered  the 
sick  up  as  well  as  I could,  and  waited  for  day.  I determined  not 
to  lie  down  myself;  I attempted  to  walk,  but  could  not  without 
running  over  the  sick  ; stand  still  I could  not,  for  so  great  was 
my  fatigue  that  I was  afraid  I should  fall  asleep.  I was  obliged 
to  lie  down  on  the  wet  grass,  and  slept  about  one  hour.  As 
soon  as  it  was  light  I sprang  up,  examined  my  sick — found  them 
asleep.  I left  them  and  walked  around  the  island,  and  found  the 
sick  of  the  whole  army  in  the  same  situation,  amounting  to 
thousands,  some  dead,  others  dying.  Great  numbers  could  not 
stand,  calling  on  us  (the  physicians)  for  help,  and  we  had  nothing 
to  give  them.  It  broke  my  heart,  and  I wept  till  I had  no  more 
power  to  weep.  I wiped  my  eyes,  pitched  my  tents,  and  others 
did  the  same,  so  that  in  about  an  hour,  they  (the  sick)  were  all 
out  of  sight.  On  the  18th  day  the  whole  army  arrived,  and  the 
island  was  full  of  men : on  the  19th,  I was  ordered  with  the  sick 
to  Crown  Point,  but  did  not  start  till  next  day  at  twelve  o’clock. 
We  passed  over  the  lake — nothing  happened  worth  mentioning. 
On  the  25th,  we  arrived  at  Crown  Point,  and  on  the  2d  of  July, 
at  night,  the  whole  army  arrived.  On  the  10th,  I was  ordered 
forward  again,  with  the  sick,  to  Fort  George.  We  took  as  much 
pork  and  flour  as  we  thought  we  should  want ; but  the  pork  was 
bad,  and  we  were  obliged  to  throw  it  overboard,  so  that  we  had 
nothing  but  flour  wet  with  lake  water,  and  baked  on  flat  stones. 
We  expected  to  be  but  two  days  in  going,  but  the  wind  was 
against  us,  and  we  were  four  days : it  looked  as  if  we  should  all 
starve.  I thought  I could  eat  a tenpenny  nail,  but  we  got  in  and 
were  supplied ; the  next  day  we  went  back,  and  soon  arrived  in 
camp. 

It  may  be  thought  by  some,  that  I make  more  of  the  sickness 
than  I need.  Who  has  not  read  of  thousands  being  sick  ? — but 
that  is  not  like  seeing  it ; perhaps  such  a sight  did  not  occur  du- 
ring the  whole  war.  I believe  that  at  no  time  was  sickness  so 
prevalent, — besides,  they  all  arrived  in  the  night,  on  a small  isl- 
and ; had  it  been  day  they  would  have  pitched  their  tents,  but 
now  they  could  not.  Every  body  who  has  seen  an  army,  knows 


APPENDIX. 


301 


that  reading  of  ten  thousand  men  and  seeing  them,  makes  very 
different  impressions  ; this  was  very  much  so  with  me.  I had 
often  read  of  ten  thousand  men  drawn  up  in  battle  array,  but  I 
had  an  imperfect  idea  of  it  until  I saw  Burgoyne’s  and  Gates’s 
army. 

As  every  thing  relating  to  the  revolutionary  war  is  important, 
I will  just  touch  upon  the  taking  of  Burgoyne.  My  northern 
campaign  ended  with  Ticonderoga,  and  I returned  to  private  life ; 
but  in  September  following,  when  Burgoyne  was  marching  tri- 
umphant through  the  country  at  the  head  of  a victorious  army, 
every  face  gathered  paleness.  I forgot  my  rank  and  enlisted  as  a 
volunteer  to  oppose  his  progress ; I repaired  to  the  scene  of  ac- 
tion, and  arrived  within  five  miles  of  the  first  decisive  battle. 
Thos’e  who  have  not  been  within  hearing  of  a battle,  can  have 
no  adequate  idea  of  it.  Words  will  not  describe  it — I shall  not 
attempt  it.  After  that  we  were  ordered  up  the  river,  on  the 
heights  opposite  to  Saratoga ; thence  I had  a fine  view  of  the  two 
armies.  Burgoyne  passed  the  creek,  Gates  encamped  at  Sara- 
toga. My  captain  called  for  volunteers  to  pass  the  river  to  head- 
quarters for  ammunition ; I appeared  the  first.  We  came  and 
were  admitted  to  a log  hut,  the  only  building  left  standing  by 
the  enemy — Gates  and  his  officers  were  there.  The  captain 
made  me  spokesman ; I told  the  general  who  we  were,  and  that 
we  wanted  ammunition.  “ Good  boys,”  says  he,  “ to  come  and 
“help  us — yes,  I have  ammunition,  but  drink  some  punch  first,” 
which  we  accepted.  Whilst  we  were  drinking,  he  says  to  his 
officers,  “ I have  just  received  a very  begging  letter  from  brother 
“ Burgoyne ; he  says  he  has  sent  me  one  of  his  girls,  and  wishes 
“ I would  treat  her  well.  I thought  he  knew  me  better  than  to 
“ think  I would  abuse  a woman  ; no,  I love  them  too  well.” 
This  alluded  to  a Major  Ackley,  if  I have  the  name  right,  [Ack- 
land,]  of  the  British  army,  who  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner, 
and  Burgoyne  sent  his  wife  to  him,  with  a flag  and  this  letter;  it 
has  lately  been  published.  He  then  turned  to  his  chief  engineer, 
and  says,  “they  tell  me  Burgoyne  has  burned  the  bridge  over 
“ the  creek  ; if  it  is  true,  how  long  will  it  take  you  to  repair  it  ?” 
“ I cannot  say ; I do  not  know  what  materials  are  at  hand.”  “ Can 


302 


APPENDIX. 


“you  not  do  it  in  an  hour?  when  I was  an  engineer  in  Ger- 
“ many,  I built  a bridge  longer  than  this  in  an  hour.”  “ All  I 
“ can  say,”  says  the  engineer,  “ is,  that  when  I am  ordered,  it 
“ will  be  done  as  soon  as  possible  ; I shall  be  exposed  to  the  en- 
“ emy  you  know.”  “ Never  mind  it,  the  place  of  danger  is  the 
“ place  of  honor,”  says  he, — “ that  will  never  stop  me,  I did  not 
“ come  here  to  be  afraid — I came  to  do  my  duty.”  We  got  our 
ammunition  and  returned  that  night.  There  was  a cessation  of 
arms  which  terminated  in  a surrender — I saw  the  whole ; this 
secured  our  independence. 

I have  written  till  I am  tired,  and  you  will  be  more  so  reading 
it.  I have  nothing  to  add,  but  to  subscribe  myself  your  fellow 
soldier.  Samuel  J.  Meyrick. 

Wilbraham,  June  1st,  1836.  • 

Mr.  Meyrick  was  surgeon  of  one  of  the  Massachusetts  regi- 
ments. 

Letter  from  John  Trumbull,  to  the  governor  of  Connecticut,  his  father. 

Ticonderoga,  July  12th,  1776. 

Honored  Sir — Since  I left  Albany  I have  not  written  to  you, 
nor  have  I received  any  of  yours.  I arrived  at  this  place  the 
fourth  day,  and  from  hence  went  on  to  Crown  Point  soon  after. 
At  this  place  I found  not  an  army  but  a mob,  the  shattered  re- 
mains of  twelve  or  fifteen  very  fine  battalions,  ruined  by  sickness, 
fatigue,  and  desertion,  and  void  of  every  idea  of  discipline  or  sub- 
ordination. You  will  be  surprised,  sir,  to  know  the  real  state  of 
affairs  in  this  department. 

Last  spring  there  were  ten  battalions,  amounting  to  about  six 
thousand  four  hundred  men,  sent  from  New  York  to  join  this 
army  ; there  were  then  here  two  battalions  of  Pennsylvanians, 
three  from  New  England,  and  one  or  two  from  Jersey,  all  of  them 
strong,  and  amounting  at  least  to  four  thousand  men  more,  which, 
joined  with  the  others,  make  the  army  upwards  of  ten  thousand 
strong.  We  have  now  three  thousand  sick,  and  about  the  same 
number  well ; this  leaves  near  five  thousand  men  to  be  accounted 
for.  Of  these,  the  enemy  has  cost  us  perhaps  one,  sickness  an- 
other thousand,  and  the  others,  God  alone  knows  in  what  man- 


APPENDIX. 


303 


ner  they  are  disposed  of.  Among  the  few  we  have  remaining, 
there  is  neither  order,  subordination,  nor  harmony ; the  officers  as 
well  as  men  of  one  colony,  insulting  and  quarreling  with  those 
of  another. 

This  wretched  situation  of  our  troops,  induced  the  general 
officers  in  a council  of  war  to  determine  on  a retreat  to  this  place. 
The  post  we  are  to  occupy  here  is  very  advantageous.  It  is  a 
height  opposite  to  the  old  French  works,  which  commands  the 
entrance  of  Lakes  Champlain  and  George ; it  is  almost  inaccessi- 
ble except  in  two  places  where  we  propose  to  have  roads,  the 
rest  is  surrounded  by  rocks  and  precipices.  We  shall  easily  be 
supplied  with  provisions  from  Skeensborough,  at  the  head  of 
Lake  Champlain,  and  can  easily  retire  that  way  into  the  country. 
This,  without  a naval  superiority  on  the  lakes,  I fear  we  shall  be 
obliged  to  do,  notwithstanding  the  strength  of  our  camp,  unless 
we  are  soon  joined  by  six  or  eight  thousand  men.  How  we  shall 
maintain  our  naval  superiority,  I confess  myself  at  a loss.  It  is 
true  that  we  build  a thing  called  a gondola,  perhaps  as  much  as 
one  in  a week ; but  where  is  our  rigging  for  them,  where  our 
guns?  We  have  to  be  sure  a great  train  of  artillery,  but  very 
few  of  them  are  mounted  on  carriages,  and  materials  or  conven- 
iences for  making  them  are  very  slender.  We  have  carpenters, 
shipbuilders,  and  blacksmiths,  in  plenty,  but  neither  places  for 
them  to  work  in,  nor  materials  in  that  plenty  we  ought  to  have. 

To  oppose  the  enemy  on  the  lake,  we  now  have  a schooner  of 
twelve  carriage  guns,  a sloop  of  eight,  two  small  schooners  to 
carry  four  or  six  each,  and  three  gondolas.  The  large  schooner 
will  be  in  good  sailing  order  in  two  or  three  days,  the  sloop  is  a 
most  unmanageable  thing  ; it  is  not  possible  to  beat  up  against  a 
head  wind  in  her ; the  two  small  schooners  are  not  armed,  the 
gondolas  are  not  armed,  and  even  the  carriages  of  their  guns  are 
yet  to  be  made. 

The  enemy  we  find  are  at  St.  John’s,  repairing  the  works  of 
the  place,  and  building  three  schooners  and  two  sloops ; they 
have  no  doubt,  every  thing  ready  to  their  hands,  the  rigging 
made,  the  guns  mounted,  and  only  the  wood  work  to  perform,  in 
which  also  I fear  they  will  have  the  advantage  of  us. 


304 


APPENDIX. 


Three  regiments  are  already  come  down  from  Crown  Point, 
with  part  of  the  artillery,  stores,  &c.  General  Arnold  is  at  that 
place,  forwarding  the  others  as  fast  as  possible.  Gen.  Sullivan 
has  set  off  for  New  York,  indignant  at  being  superceded  by  Gen. 
Gates,  and  Gen.  Gates  himself  is  superceded  by  Gen.  Schuyler, 
on  this  supposition,  that  as  the  army  which  he,  (Gen.  Gates,)  was 
ordered  to  command  in  Canada,  is  now  within  the  limits  of  New 
York,  the  command  devolves  on  Gen.  Schuyler.  In  this  man- 
ner we  now  rest,  and  as  Gen.  Gates  is  not  now  commander-in- 
chief, my  appointment  is  a little  precarious,  although  General 
Schuyler  appears  to  approve  it.  This  is  certain,  that  the  adju- 
tant general’s  and  quarter-master  general’s  departments  are  at 
present  wretchedly  filled;  the  one  by  Lieut.  Col.  Antill  of  Can- 
ada, a man  unexperienced  in  the  duty,  the  other  by  Col.  Camp- 
bell, who,  if  he  ever  was  a man  of  abilities,  is  certainly  now  su- 
perannuated and  unfit  for  his  place,  and  the  same  might  with  too 
much  truth,  be  said  of  many  other  officers  here. 

I must  beg  you,  sir,  to  forward  the  militia  as  fast  as  possible  ; 
without  them  we  are  ruined.  They  need  not  fear  the  small  pox, 
as  the  sick  and  infected  are  removed  to  Fort  George,  and  they 
will  come  up  by  Skeensborough ; every  precaution  possible  will 
be  taken  to  prevent  a farther  spread  of  that  fatal  disorder. 

We  are  anxious  for  the  fate  of  New  York,  not  one  word  to  be 
depended  upon  have  we  heard  from  that  quarter  since  the  first 
instant. 

My  best  wishes  and  respects  attend  my  parents  and  friends, 
while  I remain,  honored  sir,  your  dutiful  son,  J.  Trumbull. 


[No.  3.— Chap.  IV,  p.  53.] 

Letter  from  Gen.  Mattoon,  formerly  adjutant  general  of  the 
militia  of  the  state  of  Massachusetts  by  the  appointment  of 
Gov.  Brooks. 

To  Col.  John  Trumbull. 

Amherst,  Mass.  Nov.  13th,  1837. 

Dear  Sir — In  compliance  with  the  request  in  your  note  of  the 
6th  inst.,  I cheerfully  communicate  to  you  my  recollections  of 


APPENDIX. 


305 


what  I saw  of  you  on  the  28th  or  ’9th  of  August,  1778,  in  the 
retreat  of  our  army  from  Newport  to  Butts’  Hill ; also  at  Ticon- 
deroga  in  1776,  and  likewise  the  circumstances  in  which  Gen. 
Lincoln  was  wounded  at  Bemus’s  Heights. 

In  General  Sullivan’s  expedition  on  Rhode  Island  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1778,  I was  present,  a lieutenant  in  Col.  Wade’s  regi- 
ment ; having  seen  you  in  the  northern  campaign  in  1776,  I 
recognized  you  as  aid  to  General  Sullivan. 

After  the  French  fleet  had  left  us,  a council  of  war  was  held, 
in  which  it  was  resolved  that  our  troops  should  retreat  to  the 
north  end  of  the  island  ; the  east  and  west  roads  were  taken  on 
the  island.  In  effecting  this  retreat,  Col.  Wigglesworth,  who 
commanded  the  rear-guard  on  the  east  road,  was  ordered  to 
check  and  retard  the  enemy  as  much  as  lay  in  his  power;  from 
the  cover  of  stone  walls  and  old  buildings,  he  was  able  greatly 
to  embarrass  the  enemy’s  march.  When  he  arrived  at  Windmill 
or  Quaker  Hill,  he  gained  a favorable  position  for  checking  and 
harassing  the  enemy,  which  he  did  bravely  against  four  times 
his  number  of  men,  until  his  perilous  situation  induced  Gen.  Sul- 
livan to  call  him  off.  The  general  seeing  the  enemy  outflanking 
him,  issued  an  order  for  his  retreat,  and  appointed  you  to  carry  it 
to  him.  While  Wigglesworth  was  warmly  engaged  and  you 
was  carrying  the  order,  the  enemy  and  all  his  movements  were 
in  full  view  of  Gen.  Sullivan,  who  was  in  front  of  the  second 
line  of  our  army  on  Butts’  Hill.  His  distance  from  Col.  Wig- 
glesworth was  more  than  a mile,  one  half  of  which  you  was 
compelled  to  ride  through  a shower  of  the  enemy’s  shot.  At 
that  anxious  moment  I stood  very  near  the  general,  as  lie  was 
sitting  upon  his  horse,  and  beheld  you  distinctly  the  whole  dis- 
tance. As  soon  as  the  enemy  discovered  you,  and  probably  sus- 
pecting your  object,  they  opened  a fire  upon  you  from  six  or 
eight  pieces  of  their  cannon  ; and  I,  and  others  around  me,  were 
every  instant  looking  to  see  you  fall,  as  it  seemed  impossible  that 
you  should  escape.  On  your  return  from  this  most  adventurous 
exploit,  General  Sullivan  said,  “your  escape  has  been  most  won- 
“ derful.”  According  to  my  best  recollection,  this  was  on  the  29th 
of  August,  1778  ; * the  residue  of  that  day  was  spent  in  smart  skir- 

39 


306 


APPENDIX. 


mishes ; although  the  general  frequently  moved  about,  yet  he 
resumed  his  morning  position,  which  overlooked  both  armies. 

In  the  afternoon,  a vigorous  attack  was  made  upon  Col.  Green, 
who  was  stationed  with  a detachment,  west  of  the  west  road,  on 
the  island.  You  was  directed  by  Gen.  Sullivan  to  go  and  take 
command  of  Gen.  Lovell’s  Massachusetts  militia,  and  get  into 
the  rear  of  the  enemy  who  were  attacking  Col.  Green.  These 
men  were  formed  into  a column,  as  if  almost  by  magic.  You 
had  led  them  but  a short  distance,  before  you  was  assailed  with 
a brisk  fire  of  musketry  from  the  enemy,  secreted  in  a copse  of 
wood  and  in  an  old  building  ; at  the  same  time,  a broadside  was 
fired  upon  you  from  a gun  brig  lying  a little  distance  off.  Not- 
withstanding these  fires,  you  continued  your  march,  until  coming 
to  a stone  wall,  the  front  platoon  or  division  grounded  their  arms, 
ran  forward,  and  instantly  levelled  the  wall  for  a sufficient  length 
for  the  whole  column  to  pass  without  obstruction ; the  platoon 
immediately  resuming  their  arms,  the  column  advanced,  and  soon 
put  the  enemy  to  flight.  Seeing  the  order  and  rapidity  of  this 
movement,  Gen.  Sullivan  exclaimed,  <fthat  movement  would  do 
“ honor  to  the  oldest  regiment  of  the  army.”  The  enemy  en- 
gaged with  Colonel  Green,  perceiving  this  bold  and  successful 
adventure,  instantly  retreated,  and  thus  escaped  a capture. 

Your  preservation  in  each  of  these  most  daring  and  perilous 
enterprises,  I have  ever  considered  as  little  short  of  a miracle, 
and  a most  remarkable  interposition  of  Providence  for  your  safety. 

When  our  army  retreated  from  Canada,  and  were  posted  at 
Ticonderoga  and  Mount  Independence,  General  Gates  took  the 
command,  and  you  was  adjutant  general.  One  day  in  walking 
to  the  lower  battery  on  the  north  end  of  Mount  Independence,  I 
found  you,  in  company  with  several  officers,  and  you  directing 
a long  twelve  pounder  to  be  loaded ; on  enquiring  of  one  of  the 
officers  what  could  be  your  object,  I was  informed  that  it  was  to 
ascertain  how  far  up  Mount  Defiance  you  could  throw  a shot, 
from  the  lowest  part  of  our  encampment,  for  he  observed,  “ that 
“ the  day  before,  Gen.  Gates  and  some  of  the  officers  were  con- 
gratulating themselves  on  the  security  of  their  position,  but  that 
“ you  had  expressed  a strong  doubt  upon  the  subject,  and  had 


APPENDIX. 


307 


C€said  that  if  an  enemy  should  occupy  Mount  Defiance,  we  could 
“ not  maintain  our  position  either  at  Ticonderoga  or  at  Mount 
u Independence.  Gen.  Gates  and  several  others  rejected  and  rid- 
“ iculed  the  suggestion,  and  you  was  making  this  experiment  to 
“ convince  them  of  their  error.”  The  shot  was  fired,  and  struck 
more  than  half  way  up  the  mount. 

From  this  experiment,  and  subsequent  facts,  it  was  fully  demon- 
strated that  your  opinion  was  correct  and  the  posts  untenable,  for, 
when  the  enemy  at  length  gained  this  height,  we  were  actually 
driven  from  our  encampment. 

In  regard  to  your  enquiry  about  Gen.  Lincoln,  in  the  action  of 
the  7th  of  October  on  Bemus’s  Heights,  I recollect  that  our  troops 
broke  through  the  centre  of  the  enemy’s  line,  which  left  Lord 
Balcarras  on  the  extreme  right,  in  a very  exposed  situation.  Early 
in  the  morning  of  the  8th,  Gen.  Lincoln  said  to  me,  “ my  aids 
“ are  ail  very  busily  engaged  in  writing ; will  you  mount  one  of 
“ their  horses  and  ride  to  the  lines  with  me  ?”  I replied,  “ Sir,  I 
“ will  with  pleasure.” 

On  the  way  he  observed,  “ if  the  enemy  have  not  changed  their 
11  position  during  the  night,  I think  Lord  Balcarras  can  be  cut  off.” 
We  rode  to  the  southerly  part  of  our  line,  which  extended  north- 
wardly a considerable  distance,  parallel  with  the  enemy’s,  which 
lay  east  of  us,  and  within  long  musket  shot  of  where  our  army 
lay,  secreted  behind  some  logs  laid  up.  The  general  leaped  his 
horse  over  the  logs,  and  I followed  him.  The  enemy  imme- 
diately opened  a fire  upon  him,  and  as  he  rode  northward  the 
firing  increased  both  from  small  arms  and  cannon.  I rode  at  his 
left  side,  and  regarded  my  situation  as  very  hazardous.  The  fire 
increased  as  we  advanced,  and  I remarked  to  the  general,  “ Sir, 
“ your  life  is  too  dear  to  the  army  to  be  thus  exposed.”  He  made 
no  reply,  but  looked  at  me  and  smiled,  which  I construed  to 
mean,  “ you  are  more  concerned  about  yourself  than  about  me.” 
We  proceeded  but  a few  rods  further,  when  I saw  him  shudder, 
and  he  said,  “ the  rascals  have  struck  me.”  I enquired  where, — 
he  replied,  “in  my  hip,  I believe.”  I immediately  turned  my 
horse  to  his  right,  and  found  his  boot  perforated  with  a musket 
ball,  and  the  blood  flowing  out  profusely.  I said,  “ it  is  your 


308 


APPENDIX. 


“ancle,  sir.”  “Indeed,”  said  he,  “I  thought  it  was  my  hip.” 
This  put  an  end  to  the  reconnoissance,  to  my  great  satisfaction. 

Thus,  my  dear  sir,  I have  given  you  as  concise  an  answer  to 
your  enquiries  as  possible,  and  you  are  at  liberty  to  make  such 
use  of  them  as  you  please. 

If  Providence  spares  us  till  next  spring,  I shall  do  myself  the 
pleasure  to  visit  you  at  New  Haven,  and  enjoy  another  interview 
with  you  as  a fellow  laborer  in  the  cause  of  our  national  inde- 
pendence. I am  sir,  &c.  &c.  E.  Mattoon. 

[Page  58.] 

To  His  Excellency,  Governor  Trumbull. 

Boston,  3d  Feb.  1780. 

Honored  Sir — Since  my  arrival  in  town  I have  inquired  the 
price  of  indigo  in  foreign  markets,  in  consequence  of  your  men- 
tioning the  exportation  of  what  belongs  to  the  state,  and  find 
that  it  will  answer  well  in  France  and  in  Holland.  I have  like- 
wise inquired  upon  what  terms  I can  have  it  freighted,  and  am 
offered  a fast  sailing  sloop,  of  ten  or  twelve  guns,  at  a moderate 
freight ; but  I suppose  the  state  might  not  choose  so  much  haz- 
ard. I have  some  prospect  of  getting  it  on  board  a very  fine 
new  ship,  of  sixteen  guns,  supposed  to  be  the  best  built  for  sail- 
ing of  any  ship  in  New  England.  But  as  she  was  intended  for 
Virginia,  to  take  on  board  tobacco,  the  owners  will  not  alter  their 
plan,  unless  they  receive  a little  more  than  the  ordinary  freight, 
which  for  bulky  articles  is  as  high  as  forty  or  fifty  per  cent,  and 
less  as  the  bulk  is  smaller  in  proportion  to  the  weight.  I suppose, 
therefore,  that  i or  J at  most,  will  tempt  the  owners  to  change 
their  plan.  Upon  these  conditions  I have  no  doubt  but  the  state 
will  find  great  advantage  in  the  voyage.  I wish  it  might  be  pro- 
posed to  the  council ; and  if  they  see  fit  to  adopt  the  plan,  and 
entrust  me  with  the  agency,  I am  confident  I shall  be  able  to 
supply  them  in  return  with  military  clothing,  woolens  and  linen, 
to  greater  advantage  than  most  men  whom  they  can  employ,  as 
I have  intelligence  of  a mode  by  which  thirty  or  forty  per  cent, 
upon  the  purchase  may  be  saved,  in  preference  of  the  common 
Holland  or  French  market;  the  same  time  that  the  commissions 
will  be  of  some  service  to  my  private  affairs. 


APPENDIX. 


309 


I write  this  by  the  post,  and  intend  to  be  in  Hartford  next 
week,  in  hope  of  a favorable  event  of  this  proposal. 

We  have  no  news  in  town.  Convention  are  sitting  upon  the 
constitution ; but  it  will  not  probably  be  laid  before  the  people 
sooner  than  next  summer. 

I am,  sir,  with  the  most  dutiful  affection  and  gratitude,  your 
son,  John  Trumbull. 

P.  S.  I find  from  some  of  my  friends  that  my  private  affairs 
have  the  fairest  prospect  of  success. 

To  the  same. 

Boston,  7th  February,  1780. 

Honored  Sir — Mr.  Jones,  of  this  town,  has  requested  me  to 
write  a line  in  his  favor,  on  account  of  some  small  articles  be- 
longing to  him,  lately  seized  by  Col.  Mead  as  coming  from  New 
York.  I am  assured  that  the  articles  seized  were  only  a present 
from  his  son-in-law  and  daughter  to  his  family  here;  and  that 
the  young  man  who  escorted  Mrs.  Gracie  was  prohibited  by  Mr. 
Jones  taking  the  least  trifle  of  money  to  lay  out  in  the  city,  not- 
withstanding several  sums  were  urged  upon  him  by  undoubted 
friends  to  the  country,  in  the  supposition  that  some  umbrage 
might  be  taken,  though  in  the  opinion  of  most  people  a traffic  of 
trifling  monies  is  esteemed  rather  advantageous  to  the  country, 
returns  of  produce  and  provisions  being  the  only  thing  which 
can  really  injure  us.  The  deposition  of  the  young  gentleman, 
and  letters  in  confirmation  of  Mr.  Jones’s  character  in  the  political 
view,  will  accompany  this ; and  I should  hope  there  will  be  no 
hesitation,  in  such  circumstances,  in  ordering  the  goods  to  be 
returned. 

I am,  honored  sir,  with  duty,  affection,  and  gratitude,  your 
son,  John  Trumbull. 


[No.  4.— Chap.  V.] 

To  His  Excellency,  Governor  Trumbull. 

Nantes,  15th  June,  1780. 

Honored  Sir — As  the  present  opportunity  is  indirect  and  un- 
safe, I only  write  this  to  inform  you  that  I am  arrived  and  well, 


310 


APPENDIX. 


and  that  from  whatever  I can  learn,  I have  little  to  fear  for  my 

success. 

I shall  go  on  to  Paris  in  two  days ; that  is,  when  I am  become 
a Frenchman,  and  dressed  a-la-mode. 

Of  public  affairs  you  may  know  more  than  I can,  since  all  the 
news  in  this  town  respects  America,  and  all  is  vague. 

Ireland  treads  fast  in  our  steps ; and  if  the  genius  of  languor 
had  not  too  much  share  in  their  councils,  the  Dutch  would  have 
been  roused  to  anger  long  since.  In  fine,  our  affairs  are  well. 

I shall  write  more  at  large  when  I have  better  information  ; 
and  meantime  am  your  most  dutiful  son,  John  Trumbull. 

To  the  same. 

London,  12th  September,  1780. 

Honored  Sir — I have  written  you  twice  since  my  arrival  in 
this  place,  in  each  of  which  letters  I have  said  as  much  of  poli- 
tics as  was  proper.  With  them  I hope  you  will  also  receive  a 
bundle  of  pamphlets  and  newspapers,  which  I believe  were  for- 
warded by  the  same  conveyance. 

Since  my  last,  the  principal  event  which  has  happened,  is  the 
dissolution  of  parliament,  which  took  place  a few  days  ago. 
The  confusion  of  elections  in  consequence  of  this,  is  to  an  Amer- 
ican outrageously  ridiculous.  The  cabals,  the  palpable  corrup- 
tion, the  meanness  of  intrigue,  exceed  all  my  ideas,  and  give 
one  a much  more  contemptible  opinion  than  I ever  before  en- 
tertained of  the  celebrated  fabric  of  British  liberty.  The  mode 
of  election,  and  the  inequality  of  representation,  are  affrontive 
to  the  very  shadow  of  freedom.  I have  been  told  this  day,  and 
from  such  authority  as  gives  some  credit  to  the  report,  that  the 
new  parliament  is  called  to  undo  what  the  old  one  had  been 
doing  during  the  whole  period  of  its  existence  ; that  American 
independence  is  to  be  acknowledged,  and  no  measure  left  untried 
to  effect  an  alliance  of  friendship  and  commerce — as  this  will 
come  with  a better  grace  from  a new  body  than  from  one  whose 
preceding  conduct  has  been  so  very  opposite.  But,  though  this 
information  must  give  peculiar  pleasure  to  every  true  American, 
yet  I would  by  no  means  have  it  so  far  credited  as  to  throw  the 


APPENDIX. 


311 


least  damp  on  the  exertions  even  of  an  individual;  since,  if 
true,  it  has  only  originated  in  that  spirit  of  determined  resist- 
ance which  it  is  seen  cannot  be  conquered ; and  we  may  be 
assured,  that  relaxation  on  our  part  will  ever  be  followed  by  new 
efforts  of  oppression.  ’Tis  the  sword  only  that  can  give  us  such 
a peace  as  our  past  glorious  struggles  have  merited.  The  sword 
must  finish  what  it  has  so  well  begun. 

I hope  soon  to  have  an  opportunity  of  writing  by  Mr.  J.  Tem- 
ple, who  is  looking  out  for  a good  passage  by  way  of  Holland, 
unless  he  should  there  meet  some  appointment  of  a public  nature 
from  his  country,  to  detain  him  in  Europe.  His  residence  here, 
since  he  last  left  Boston,  has  been  essentially  of  service  to  America. 
He  has  been  indefatigable  in  his  endeavors  to  defeat  the  misrep- 
resentations of  General  Robertson  and  Mr.  Galloway  at  the  bar 
of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  to  convince  both  the  majority 
and  minority  of  the  impracticability  of  coercing  America,  and  of 
the  wisdom  of  putting  an  end  to  the  war,  and  making  peace  on 
our  own  terms,  as  soon  as  possible.  His  acquaintance  is  among 
the  friends  of  his  country,  such  as  the  dukes  of  Richmond  and 
Rutland,  Mr.  D.  Hartley,  Dr.  Price,  Mr.  Burke,  &c.,  who  have 
paid  great  attention  to  his  information,  if  we  may  judge  from 
their  language.  I wish  ingratitude  may  not  be  a characteristic 
vice  of  our  country.  If  it  be  not,  Mr.  Temple,  who  has  lost  an 
elegant  living  from  his  attachment  to  her  cause,  and  been  perse- 
cuted for  her  sake,  may  reasonably  hope  to  be  remembered.  I 
heartily  wish  him  success  ; and  if  there  should  be  any  occasion 
in  which  you  can  serve  him,  I beg  you  will  do  it,  from  a convic- 
tion that  no  man  will  serve  his  country  with  more  fidelity  than 
he  will.  His  assiduity  in  counteracting  the  base  acts  of  the 
refugees,  has  gained  him  their  perpetual  implacable  hatred  ; and 
there  is  no  villainy  to  which  they  would  not  stoop  for  revenge. 
You  have  seen  one  of  their  attacks,  which  is  enough  to  con- 
vince you,  that  his  blood,  as  well  as  mine,  would  be  exquisitely 
relished  by  them.  But  we  are  in  no  danger  from  such  little 
enemies. 

I am,  honored  sir,  with  affectionate  remembrance  of  all  my 
friends,  your  grateful  son,  John  Trumbull. 


312 


APPENDIX. 


[No.  5.— Chap.  VI,  p.  77.] 


The  favor  which  was  thus  done  to  me  by  the  king,  in 
promising  me  a pardon,  if  I should  be  brought  to  trial  for 
treason,  and  condemned,  merits  my  grateful  remembrance,  and 
justifies  my  giving  two  anecdotes,  which  throw  a very  favor- 
able light  upon  his  character.  The  first,  which  I had  from  Mr. 
West,  is  as  follows. 

The  evening  on  which  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Camden  in 
South  Carolina  arrived  in  London,  Mr.  West  received  an  order  to 
be  at  the  palace  the  next  morning  at  eight  o’clock,  to  receive 
some  commands  from  the  king.  It  was  midwinter,  and  eight  in 
the  morning  was  a very  early  hour  in  London,  to  be  dressed  and 
at  the  distance  of  a mile  from  home.  Mr.  West  was  there,  how- 
ever, at  the  moment,  and  found  the  king  already  in  the  audience 
room,  with  a number  of  persons  in  waiting,  among  whom  was 
Lord  Cathcart,  who  had  served  in  America,  and  married  Miss 
Elliot  of  New  York.  His  lordship  was  no  friend  of  Mr.  West, 
and  with  the  intention  of  ruining  him  in  the  esteem  of  the  king, 
he  said  to  West,  and  (contrary  to  etiquette)  loud  enough  to  attract 
the  royal  attention,  ‘‘West,  have  you  heard  the  news?”  “No, 
“my  lord  j I left  home  so  early  that  I have  seen  no  one.”  “I 
“do  not  know,  Mr.  West,  that  the  news  will  give  you  so  much 
“pleasure,  as  it  does  to  his  majesty’s  loyal  subjects  in  general. 
“ His  majesty’s  troops  have  gained  a most  decisive  victory  over 
“a  strong  body  of  your  rebel  countrymen,  at  Camden,  South 
“Carolina.”  West  saw  the  trap  which  was  laid  for  him,  and 
after  a moment’s  thought,  answered  firmly  and  loud  enough  also 
to  catch  the  king’s  attention, — “I  cannot  say,  my  lord,  that  the 
“calamities  of  my  native  country  can  ever  give  me  pleasure.” 
The  king  quitted  the  person  to  whom  he  was  speaking  on  the  other 
side  of  the  room,  and  touching  Mr.  West’s  shoulder,  said,  “West, 
“ that  answer  does  you  great  honor.  Remember  it,  my  lord 
“Cathcart — and  take  a further  lesson  from  me,  that  the  man  who 
“does  not  love  his  native  country,  can  never  make  a faithful 
“ subject  of  another,  nor  a true  friend.” 


APPENDIX. 


313 


The  second  I had  from  Mr.  King,  (then  minister  of  the  United 
States  in  London,)  who  received  it  from  Lord  Winchelsea,  lord 
in  waiting  on  the  occasion. 

As  the  royal  family  were  too  numerous  to  go  to  the  theatre  or 
other  public  places  in  a single  carriage,  the  managers  of  the  thea- 
tre at  Drury  lane  had  caused  to  be  constructed  a small  drawing 
room  behind  the  royal  box,  where  the  whole  party  might  assem- 
ble, where  the  ladies  might  warm  their  feet,  adjust  their  dresses, 
& c.,  before  entering  their  box.  The  king  was  in  the  habit  of 
waiting  politely  until  all  the  ladies  were  ready;  but,  on  one 
memorable  evening,  he  omitted  his  usual  attention,  and  moved 
towards  the  box,  before  the  queen  and  his  daughters  were  pre- 
pared to  follow.  The  lord  in  waiting,  (Lord  Winchelsea,)  as 
was  his  duty,  kept  close  to  the  king,  and  as  his  majesty  entered 
the  box,  a pistol  was  fired  by  some  person  in  the  pit,  the  ball  from 
which,  struck  a few  inches  above  the  king’s  head.  He  turned 
quick  to  the  lord  in  waiting,  and  said,  “ My  lord,  hurry  back  to 
“ the  queen,  and  detain  her  and  her  children  a moment,  perhaps 
“ there  may  be  another  shot then  bowed  as  usual  to  the  audi- 
ence and  took  his  seat.  A great  uproar  immediately  took  place 
in  attempting  to  secure  the  person  who  had  fired  the  pistol, 
when  the  king  exclaimed,  “ Gently,  gently,  my  friends  ; do  not 
“ hurt  the  poor  wretch ; secure  him,  but  do  not  hurt  him.  He 
“ must  be  mad.” 

If  this  story  were  told  by  historians  of  Trajan,  all  the  world 
would  unite  in  applauding  an  act,  which  gave  equal  evidence  of 
the  most  lofty  courage  and  utter  disregard  of  self,  and  of  the  most 
sublime  affection  for  his  family. 

While  I am  giving  anecdotes,  I cannot  refrain  from  giving  one 
more,  which,  although  it  has  no  connection  with  royalty,  is  yet 
sacredly  demanded  by  friendship. 

During  several  years  of  my  residence  in  London,  I had  the 
happiness  to  live  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  Mr.  Nollekens,  the 
sculptor,  whose  exquisitely  pathetic  monument  of  Mrs.  Howard, 
places  him  among  the  most  eminent  of  those  who  have  obtained 
immortality  for  themselves,  by  giving  life  to  marble.  Since  his 
death,  his  biography  has  been  written  by  a soi  disant  friend, 

40 


314 


APPENDIX. 


who,  in  my  opinion,  has  done  great  injustice  to  his  reputation, 
by  collecting  and  giving  currency  to  a multitude  of  paltry  tales, 
in  no  sense  instructive  or  interesting  to  the  community,  and 
serving  only  to  cast  ridicule  and  contempt  on  the  memory  of  a 
very  eminent  artist,  and  worthy  inoffensive  man.  It  is  true,  that 
Mr.  Nollekens  was  economical  to  a fault ; but  his  friend  should 
have  reflected,  that  economy  was  an  essential  virtue  in  a youth, 
who  entered  upon  life  poor,  and  with  few  friends,  and  devoted 
himself  to  the  study  of  a profession,  always  uncertain  of  success, 
and  which  has  led  few  of  its  followers  to  wealth  or  fame.  Econ- 
omy and  industry,  however,  were  rewarded  in  this  instance,  by 
a degree  of  prosperity  which  gave  Mr.  Nollekens,  in  after  life, 
the  power  of  assisting  those,  (some  of  whom  I have  known,)  who, 
coming  forward  with  splendid  talents,  and  troops  of  admiring 
friends,  passed  through  a long  career  of  glorious  success,  yet, 
wanting  this  despised  quality  of  economy,  have  been  always  ha- 
rassed by  the  beggarly  distress  of  debt  and  dependence. 

But,  to  my  anecdote.  Coming  into  town  one  morning,  at  an 
hour  too  early  for  the  business  of  the  office,  I lounged  into  the 
attelier  of  my  friend  Nollekens ; he  was  there  already,  and  at 
work.  “ Have  you  heard  the  news  ?”  exclaimed  he,  “ have  you 
“heard  what  we  did  last  evening  at  the  Academy  ?”  “No,  my 
“ friend ; I have  called  on  no  one  since  I came  into  town  from 
“ Hammersmith — to  what  do  you  allude  ?”  “ They  expelled  poor 
“ Barry.  I went  to  the  meeting  rather  late,  and  found  all  the 
“ members  in  a tumult  of  rage  against  Barry’s  letter  to  the  Dille- 
“ tanti  Society,  (you  must  have  seen  or  heard  of  it,)  in  which 
“ he  speaks  disrespectfully  of  the  king,  and  of  his  patronage  of 
“ the  fine  arts.  As  the  king  is  the  patron  of  the  Academy,  they 
“ were  apprehensive  that,  unless  the  society  inflicted  severe  pun- 
“ ishment  upon  such  an  audacious  offender,  his  majesty  might 
“ withdraw  his  protection,  and  therefore,  spite  of  all  I could  say, 
“they  condemned  the  poor  man,  without  a hearing .”  While  I 
listened  with  surprise  to  this  outbreak  of  my  worthy,  quiet  friend, 
a story  flashed  upon  my  mind,  which  had  been  current  among 
artists  in  London,  and  which  I had  often  heard ; it  ran  thus. 


APPENDIX. 


315 


In  Rome,  at  the  Piazza  dei  Populo,  was  a coffee-house,  the 
favorite  resort  of  young  students  of  the  arts,  from  the  north  of 
Europe,  and  where  those  from  the  British  isles  in  particular,  were 
in  the  constant  habit  of  meeting  every  evening,  to  relax  from 
the  labors  of  the  day,  and  to  discuss  subjects  relating  to  the  arts. 
One  evening,  when  Barry  and  Nollekens  were  among  the  party 
assembled,  Barry  engaged  Nollekens  in  conversation,  and  kept 
him  attentive  until  all  the  others  were  gone,*  they  then  rose  to 
follow,  and  when  they  opened  the  door,  the  square  was  light  as 
day,  with  the  splendor  of  the  full  moon.  Barry,  who  was  then 
a young  Hibernian  beau,  was  the  only  person  in  Rome  who 
wore  a gold  laced  hat ; as  they  left  the  door,  he  exchanged  hats 
with  his  companion,  putting  his  gold  laced  hat  upon  the  head  of 
Nollekens.  “What  do  you  do  that  for?”  cried  he.  “Only  to 
“ see  how  you  will  look  in  my  laced  hat.”  And,  arm  in  arm  they 
walked  across  the  square,  and  to  Barry’s  lodgings,  where  they 
parted,  after  again  exchanging  hats.  The  story  proceeded,  that 
Barry  had  had  an  intrigue  with  a young  Roman  girl,  which  had 
been  discovered  by  her  friends,  who  vowed  vengeance,  and  he 
of  course  lived  under  constant  dread  of  the  stiletto,  and  had  ex- 
changed hats  on  this  bright  evening,  that  another  might  receive 
the  fatal  blow  intended,  for  him. 

I said  to  Nollekens,  “ The  Academy  appear  to  me  to  have  acted 
“ very  precipitately ; but,  I am  astonished  that  you  alone  should 
“ have  attempted  to  screen  Mr.  Barry ; for,  my  friend,  I have 
“ heard  a strange  story  respecting  Barry  and  you,  at  the  Piazza 
“ del  Populo  in  Rome,  of  a moonlight  night,  and  a gold  laced 
“hat.”  “True,  true,”  exclaimed  he  j “it  is  too  true  and  very 
“ wicked ; but  would  the  wickedness  of  another  justify  me  in 
“acting  equally  ill?  Oh,  no,  no,  no.” 

This  anecdote,  for  the  truth  of  which  I can  vouch,  outweighs 
a whole  cargo  of  scandalous  tittle-tattle. 

[Page  78.] 

To  His  Excellency,  Governor  Trumbull. 

Bilboa,  October  23d,  1781. 

Honored  Sir — I have  but  a moment  to  inform  you  that  after 
having  sailed  from  Amsterdam  in  August,  I was  landed  at  Co- 


316 


APPENDIX. 


runna  in  Spain,  the  23d  of  September.  From  thence  I am  now 
entering  this  port,  and  hope  to  sail  for  America  once  more  in 
three  weeks.  I am  in  perfect  health ; — hope  my  letters,  of  a 
public  nature  at  least,  have  arrived,  which  I wrote  from  that  place. 
I can  add  nothing,  but  that,  if  the  plan  of  remittance  for  interest 
be  adopted,  sugar  of  all  things  will  answer  best.  In  very  great 
haste,  I am  your  dutiful  John  Trumbull. 

[Vol.  XV,  p.  206.] 

/ 

To  the  same. 

Bilboa,  October  23d,  1781. 

Honored  Sir — I wrote  you  a few  lines  this  morning  by  the 
ship  Rambler,  which  was  going  out  of  this  port  as  we  entered. 

When  I wrote  from  Amsterdam,  I had  not  received  a small 
trunk  from  London  containing  my  books  and  papers,  and  was 
therefore  unable  to  give  you  that  account  of  my  imprisonment 
which  I wished.  I am  now  at  leisure  to  write,  instead  of  rela- 
ting it  to  you,  as  I should  have  done  some  weeks  since,  but  for 
the  villainy  of  Mr.  Gillon,  on  board  whose  ship  I sailed  from 
the  Texel  on  the  10th  of  August.  This  history  is  so  complica- 
ted, and  at  the  same  time  so  interesting  to  the  reputation  and 
public  credit  of  our  country  as  to  merit  a separate  letter  ; suffice 
it  at  present  to  say  that,  after  a voyage  of  six  weeks  around  the 
coasts  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  I arrived  on  the  23d  of  Sep- 
tember at  Corunna,  where  I fortunately  met  with  Capt.  Hill  in 
the  Cicero  privateer  of  twenty  guns.  He  very  kindly  gave  sev- 
eral of  us  a passage  to  this  place,  from  whence  we  hope  to  sail  on 
board  his  ship  for  America  in  three  or  four  weeks. 

I had  remained  some  time  in  London,  with  more  prospect  of 
success  there  than  in  any  place  on  the  continent,  and  perfectly 
secure  under  the  name  of  an  artist,  till  the  news  of  the  death  of 
the  unfoitunate  Andre  arrived,  and  gave  a new  edge  to  the 
vengeful  wishes  of  the  American  refugees.  The  arts  they  had 
for  a long  time  used  to  no  effect,  now  succeeded ; and  they  had 
interest  enough  to  persuade  the  ministry  that  I was  a dangerous 
person,  in  the  service  of  Dr.  Franklin,  &c.  &c.  The  occasion 
united  with  their  wishes,  and  the  resentment  of  government 


APPENDIX. 


317 


marked  me  as  an  expiatory  sacrifice.  I had  no  idea  of  the  storm ; 
was  apprehended  at  midnight ; my  papers  seized,  (among  which 
was  unfortunately  a letter  from  young  Mr.  Franklin,) — was  ex- 
amined and  committed  to  prison  on  suspicion  of  treason , — that 
convenient  charge,  from  which  an  obnoxious  unfortunate  has  no 
power  to  clear  himself;  and,  afterwards,  a detainer  was  lodged 
against  me  for  having  been  guilty  of  the  crime  of  high  treason 
committed  in  his  majesty’s  colonies  and  plantations  in  America, 
grounded  on  what  I had  said  at  my  examination.  The  prison  in 
which  I was  confined  was  decent,  although  its  name  was  not 
promising.  I had  a neat  apartment,  and  was  used  with  respect 
by  the  keeper,  who  was  a worthy,  honest  man.  Mr.  West,  who 
has  the  strongest  claims  to  my  gratitude,  made  an  immediate 
application  to  the  king,  (to  whom  he  always  has  admittance,) 
and  represented  me  in  such  a light  as  obtained  a promise  of  per- 
fect security  and  speedy  enlargement ; but,  either  the  promise 
was  forgotten,  or  the  interest  of  the  refugees  was  more  power- 
ful ; and  I lingered  through  two  impatient  months.  I then 
wrote  to  Lord  George  Germaine  the  letter,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  a copy. 

To  the  Right  Honorable  Lord  George  Germaine,  &c.  &c. 

Tothill-fields  Bridewell,  January  20th,  1781. 

My  Lord — Having  been  confined  upwards  of  two  months,  and 
finding  no  probability  of  any  speedy  process  for  my  trial,  I am 
induced  to  be  thus  troublesome,  and  to  supplicate  your  lordship 
to  attend  to  my  case,  and  endeavor  to  obtain  my  enlargement. 

My  commitment  and  detainer  express  no  other  charge  than  of 
treason  committed  in  America , from  which  I conceive  myself 
fully  protected  by  the  proclamation  of  his  majesty’s  commission- 
ers, dated  October  3d,  1778,  which  grants  pardon  for  all  treasons 
committed  before  that  day  in  America,  long  before  which  I had 
quitted  the  American  service,  and  ceased  to  act  hostilely  against 
this  country.  Early  in  1778,  I determined  to  come  to  England 
to  study  the  art  of  painting ; and  my  intentions  being  soon  after 
made  known  to  your  lordship,  through  Richard  Jackson,  Esq.,  I 
was  informed  your  lordship’s  answer  was,  that,  “ though  no  offi- 


318 


APPENDIX. 


“ cial  leave  would  be  given,  yet,  if  I came  to  England,  and  de- 
11  meaned  myself  in  a quiet  and  peaceable  manner,  no  notice 
“ would  be  taken  of  whatever  had  passed  in  America.”  My 
conduct  since  my  residence  in  England,  1 trust  does  now  appear 
to  your  lordship  to  have  been  fair  and  upright.  Mr.  West,  under 
whom  I have  regularly  studied,  and  who  has  spoken  and  writ- 
ten to  your  lordship  on  the  subject,  can  give  the  strongest  assur- 
ances of  this,  as  well  as  explain  the  loss  I suffer  from  the  impos- 
sibility of  pursuing  my  studies  in  this  place.  Through  him  I 
beg  leave  to  hope  your  lordship’s  answer.  I am,  &c.  &c. 

This  letter  was  delivered,  but  no  answer  was  returned,  and 
Mr.  West,  through  the  kind  offices  of  my  friend , Mr.  Thompson, 
Lord  George’s  secretary,  was  prevented  from  obtaining  an  inter- 
view ; and,  as  I have  since  learned,  the  letter  itself  went  no  fur- 
ther than  this  same  good  Mr.  Thompson.  I drudged  on,  there- 
fore, with  all  the  patience  I was  master  of,  for  a more  propitious 
moment,  till  a new  attempt  to  render  me  more  unhappy,  made  it 
necessary  to  write  what  you  will  see  below.  The  letter  is 
grounded  on  this  circumstance  ; at  the  general  jail  delivery,  all 
prisoners  confined  for  felony  are  to  be  removed  to  the  jail  of  their 
county  ; and  this  will  subject  me  to  a removal  to  Clerkenweli 
prison,  which,  since  the  burning  of  Newgate,  &c.,  is  the  ren- 
dezvous for  convicts,  respites,  and  villains  of  all  the  most  atro- 
cious classes,  and  consequently  a place  in  which  my  enemies 
would  gladly  see  me.  It  is  in  the  power  of  the  solicitor  of  the 
treasury,  (through  whom  pass  all  proceedings  on  the  part  of  the 
crown,)  to  dispense  with  this  general  rule  in  favor  of  any  partic- 
ular prisoner ; and,  therefore,  I applied  to  him,  as  below. 

To  Mr.  Chamberlayne,  Solicitor  of  the  Treasury. 

TothiU-fields  Bridewell,  Feb.  20th,  1781. 

Sir — The  advice  of  some  of  my  friends,  better  acquainted 
with  the  forms  of  law  than  I am,  induces  me  to  give  you  this 
trouble,  and  beg  to  know  whether  there  be  a possibility  of  my 
taking  the  benefit  of  the  approaching  general  jail  delivery  of  New- 
gate. I took  the  liberty,  some  time  ago,  to  address  a short  state 


APPENDIX. 


319 


of  my  case  to  Lord  George  Germaine,  of  which  I enclose  a copy. 
His  lordship,  (perhaps  from  hurry  of  business,)  has  not  honored 
me  with  an  answer. 

I must  acknowledge  myself  surprised,  at  finding  myself 
charged  in  my  detainer  with  “ treason  committed  in  America 
for  I had  been  taught  to  regard  the  proclamation  of  his  majesty’s 
commissioners,  published  in  October,  1778,  as  of  equal  validity 
with  the  act  of  parliament  under  which  the  commission  itself 
was  executed,  and  to  apprehend  no  more  danger  of  a criminal 
process  for  whatever  was  done  antecedent  to  that  date,  than  if  an 
act  of  grace  had  passed  the  same  parliament,  or  peace  had  been 
concluded  between  the  contending  parties.  And  in  this  security 
I was  fully  confirmed  by  the  answer  of  Lord  George  Germaine 
to  Mr.  Jackson.  But  in  this  idea  I may  have  been  deceived. 
The  grounds  of  the  charge  against  me  may  yet  be  valid,  and  the 
necessity  for  my  longer  confinement  indispensable.  In  this 
view,  therefore,  and  considering  myself  as  within  your  depart- 
ment, as  solicitor  of  the  treasury,  my  last  request  is,  that,  if  I 
cannot  be  enlarged,  I may  at  least  not  be  removed  from  this 
prison  to  any  other.  The  treatment  I receive  here  is  such  as  in 
some  measure  mitigates  the  irksomeness  of  confinement,  and  de- 
mands my  acknowledgment.  But  in  other  prisons  I am  taught 
to  expect  a different  scene.  I trust  to  your  humanity,  that  my 
education  and  rank  in  life  will  plead  in  support  of  this  request, 
and  save  me  the  mortifying  necessity  of  associating  with  indis- 
criminate villains. 

Mr.  West  will  do  me  the  honor  to  present  you  this  letter,  and 
give  you  any  further  information  you  may  ask.  I am,  &c. 

This  letter  had  as  little  success  as  the  other.  I received  no 
answer  ; and  was  indebted  to  the  recorder  of  London,  Sergeant 
Adair,  for  the  favor  I requested  from  Mr.  C. 

After  this  second  proof  of  the  disposition  of  government,  I had 
little  left  to  hope,  unless  from  some  favorable  turn  of  affairs  in 
America.  An  effort  was  indeed  made  through  Mr.  Hunt,  a ref- 
ugee from  Philadelphia,  upon  the  feelings  of  his  fellows,  which 
does  honor  to  him,  and  was  pushed  so  far  as  almost  to  endanger 


320 


APPENDIX. 


his  own  safety ; but  without  any  other  effect  than  showing  the 
detestable  rancor,  which,  with  very  few  exceptions,  is  the  com- 
mon mark  of  their  character. 

I was  now  told  by  a gentleman  of  the  law,  that  it  was  in  my 
power,  by  a petition  to  the  court  of  the  Old  Bailey,  to  bring  on 
my  trial.  In  consequence  of  which,  I drew  up  a general  state  of 
my  case,  to  lay  before  Messrs.  Dunning  and  Lee,  for  their  opin- 
ion on  the  practicability  and  safety  of  such  a step.  In  the  mean 
time,  Mr.  Lee  called  upon  me,  and  assured  me  that  however 
proper  the  step  might  be,  it  was  rendered  absolutely  impractica- 
ble by  the  suspension  of  the  habeas  corpus  act,  and  I had  noth- 
ing to  hope,  but  from  the  humanity  or  the  fears  of  the  ministry, 
which,  with  the  assistance  of  his  friends  he  would  endeavor  to 
operate  upon  effectually.  I soon  learned  that  he  had  interested 
Lord  Rockingham,  Mr.  Burke,  and  several  other  gentlemen  in 
my  favor.  I therefore  wrote  the  following  letter. 

To  Counsellor  Lee,  Lincoln’s  Inn-field. 

Tothill-fields  Bridewell,  May  11th,  1781. 

Sir — The  liberal  kindness  with  which  I have  already  been 
honored  by  you,  and  for  which  I have  many  thanks  to  return, 
induces  me  to  beg  you  to  convey  the  inclosed  letter  to  Mr.  Burke, 
if  after  reading  it,  (for  which  purpose  I send  it  open,)  it  shall  ap- 
pear to  you  a proper  step.  I have  been  led  to  it  by  my  venera- 
tion for  that  gentleman’s  character  both  as  a patriot  and  as  a man, 
and  by  a wish  not  to  appear  cold  to  my  own  interests. 

I was  chagrined  to  learn,  that,  on  your  mentioning  my  case  to 
Mr.  Dunning,  he  had  heard  nothing  of  it.  I expect  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds will  call  on  me  this  afternoon,  and  I do  not  doubt  but  he 
will  explain  this  matter.  I shall  request  him  still,  (if  he  has  not 
already  done  it,)  to  lay  the  paper  before  Mr.  D.,  and  flatter  my- 
self that  I shall  appear  to  him  likewise,  to  have  suffered  unrea- 
sonably. 

Mr.  Fox,  to  whom  my  situation  has  been  represented,  has  been 
so  kind  as  to  appoint  to  call  on  me  with  that  worthy  man,  Dr. 
Jebb,  immediately  on  his  return  to  town.  From  the  united  kind- 


APPENDIX. 


321 


ness  of  so  many  eminent  characters,  I begin,  once  more  to  enjoy 
the  hope  of  recovering  my  liberty  at  an  earlier  day  than  I feared. 

With  the  sincerest  gratitude  and  respect,  I am,  & c. 

Edmund  Burke,  Esq.,  Charter  street,  St.  James’  square. 

Tothill-fields  Bridewell,  May  10th,  1781. 

Sir — Although  personally  unknown  to  you,  I have  been  en- 
couraged by  the  generous  manner  in  which  some  gentlemen, 
your  friends,  have  interested  themselves  in  my  favor,  and  by  that 
benevolence  and  liberality  of  character  which  I have  long  since 
learned  to  respect  in  you,  to  solicit  your  attention  likewise  to  my 
unfortunate  situation. 

I have  suffered  six  months’  imprisonment,  and  after  every  rea- 
sonable effort,  I find  no  disposition  in  his  majesty’s  servants  to 
grant  me  any  relief.  The  principal  crime  with  which  I can  learn 
I am  charged,  is  the  having  served  some  years  ago  in  the  Ameri- 
can army,  (for  the  papers  found  in  my  possession  are  too  trifling 
to  be  dignified  with  the  name  of  criminal,)  and  this  service  I 
conceived  to  have  been  buried  in  oblivion,  with  all  similar  acts 
of  treason,  by  the  proclamation  of  the  commissioners  published  at 
New  York  in  October,  1778 ; since  when,  I have  lived  the  peace- 
ful retired  life  of  an  artist.  Relying  on  this  proclamation,  I left 
America  in  May  last,  with  the  intention  of  studying  the  art  of 
painting  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  West ; and,  to  obviate  the 
very  appearance  of  danger,  I first  caused  my  intentions  to  be 
made  known  to  Lord  George  Germaine,  and  received  his  per- 
mission, with  an  assurance,  that  so  long  as  I should  behave  as  a 
quiet  and  peaceful  subject  of  this  kingdom,  no  notice  would  be 
taken  of  whatever  had  passed  in  America.  Notwithstanding 
which,  after  having  resided  four  months  in  this  city,  publicly  and 
peaceably,  with  an  implicit  but  unfortunate  confidence  of  secu- 
rity, I was  apprehended  on  suspicion  of  treason,  and  the  few  friv- 
olous papers  found  in  my  possession,  with  my  own  too  generous 
and  unguarded  frankness  on  my  examination,  were  made  the 
pretext  for  a commitment  for  high  treason  ; and  although  1 have 
repeatedly  urged  the  proclamation  and  promise  above  mentioned, 
with  a hope  of  being  attended  to,  yet  I am  continued  in  prison, 

41 


322 


APPENDIX. 


and  can  obtain  no  other  answer  from  government,  either  to  my- 
self or  my  friends,  than  a contemptuous  silence. 

The  manner  in  which  I have  become  a prisoner,  and  the  treat- 
ment which  I have  received,  appear  to  me  equally  singular  and 
unworthy.  Betrayed,  (if  I may  be  allowed  the  expression,)  un- 
der the  specious  appearance  of  liberality  and  honor, — not  taken 
in  arms,  I have  experienced  a degree  of  severity  which  has  been 
shown  to  very  few  of  my  countrymen.  Many  of  them,  although 
taken  in  the  actual  commission  of  those  crimes,  from  which,  at 
worst,  I have  ceased  these  four  years,  are  daily  indulged  with 
easy  paroles,  treated  with  all  the  respect  due  to  their  rank,  and 
exchanged,  while  I am  ignominiously  imprisoned  as  a felon.  I 
have  sought  for  some  reason  to  justify  this  severe  distinction,  but 
can  find  no  one,  while  policy,  generosity  and  honor,  point  out  a 
thousand  to  condemn  it.  The  indignity  obliquely  reflected  on 
Parliament  by  the  trifling  respect  paid  to  a proclamation  pub- 
lished under  their  sanction,  and  the  argument  thereby  furnished 
to  my  countrymen  of  the  folly  of  reposing  any  confidence  in 
promises  even  of  the  highest  authority,  thus  easily  forgotten,  ap- 
pear to  me  objects  of  some  political  moment,  and  it  merits  some 
consideration  that  my  father,  (who  has  been  for  many  years  gov- 
ernor of  one  of  the  now  United  States,)  and  family,  have  been 
distinguished  hitherto  for  their  humanity  to  British  prisoners,  and 
for  making  it  their  study  to  alleviate,  as  much  as  possible,  the 
inevitable  distresses  of  war.  What  change  the  treatment  I re- 
ceive may  make  in  their  sentiments,  I am  unwilling  to  think. 
I lament  the  idea  of  being  the  cause,  however  necessary  and  just, 
of  another  man  suffering  in  return  the  same  indignities  and  cru- 
elties which  I have  so  long  suffered.  It  was  natural,  likewise, 
to  suppose  that  I should  have  been  considered  as  too  insignificant 
an  object  for  national  vengeance,  when  a Lee,  a Sullivan,  a Ster- 
ling, and  a Lincoln,  with  so  many  other  respectable  characters, 
have  been  passed  by,  and  I did  expect  that  some  attention  would 
have  been  paid  to  promises.  But  all  this  has  hitherto  availed 
me  nothing ; and  even  the  law,  to  which  I would  gladly  have 
committed  my  cause,  being  shut  from  me  by  the  suspension  of 
the  habeas  corpus  act,  I am  left  without  a hope  of  recovering  my 


APPENDIX. 


323 


liberty  earlier  than  at  the  far  distant  day  of  peace,  except  from 
the  generous  interest  of  yourself,  and  your  noble  and  honorable 
friends  of  the  opposition  ; but  from  your  friendship,  should  I be 
honored  with  it,  1 have  every  thing  to  hope. 

I have  enclosed  copies  of  two  letters,  which  I wrote  some  time 
ago  to  Lord  George  Germaine  and  the  solicitor  of  the  treasury, 
and  likewise  an  extract  of  the  proclamation  on  which  I have 
relied. 

Mr.  Lee,  who  has  done  me  the  honor  to  visit  me  in  prison, 
whose  manly  and  liberal  behavior  I shall  ever  remember  with 
gratitude,  will  be  so  kind  as  to  put  this  into  your  hands,  and  to 
accompany  it  with  such  information  as  he  may  have  collected  in 
my  case,  from  conversing  with  me.  x 

I have  the  honor  to  subscribe  myself,  with  profound  respect, 
sir,  &c.  &c. 

P.  S.  That  I may  not  appear  to  speak  of  high  characters  with 
too  much  severity,  it  is  proper  that  I should  add,  that  I have 
strong  reasons  to  believe  that  I owe  my  sufferings,  not  so  much 
to  the  immediate  act  of  the  ministry,  as  to  the  vindictive  and  ma- 
lignant arts  of  some  of  my  own  countrymen  who  are  about  them, 
and  who  have  found  means  to  prevent  me  and  any  of  my  friends 
from  ever  gaining  their  attention. 

Mr.  Burke  called  on  me  immediately  after  he  had  received  this 
letter,  and  assured  me  of  his  hearty  efforts  in  my  favor ; that  he 
had  already  seen  Lord  George  Germaine,  and,  from  what  passed 
in  their  conversation,  he  had  hopes  of  effecting  my  discharge. 
However,  after  having  attempted  all  rational  methods,  if  they 
should  not  succeed,  he  would  then,  if  agreeable  to  me,  and  as  a 
dernier  resort,  bring  it  before  Parliament,  as  an  act  of  injustice 
which  their  honor  was  interested  to  redress.  Mr.  Fox  called  on 
me  the  next  day,  and  assured  me  of  his  entire  concurrence  with 
Mr.  Burke  ; and,  after  a few  days’  delay  with  forms  of  law  and 
want  of  precedent,  a discharge  was  sent  me  from  the  privy  coun- 
cil, of  which  the  following  is  a copy. 

[l.  s.]  Whereas  John  Trumbull  stands  committed  to  your  cus- 
tody, charged  with  having  been  guilty  of  the  crime  of  high  trea- 


324 


APPENDIX. 


son,  committed  in  his  majesty’s  colonies  and  plantations  in  Amer- 
ica, contrary  to  the  statute  in  that  case  made  and  provided ; and 
application  having  been  made  unto  his  majesty’s  most  honorable 
privy  council  in  his  behalf,  to  be  discharged  from  his  confine- 
ment ; the  said  council  have  thought  fit  to  order,  and  you  are 
hereby  authorized  and  required  forthwith  to  cause  the  above  said 
person  to  be  discharged  from  his  confinement,  he  first  giving  good 
and  sufficient  security  to  appear  before  the  commissioners  who 
shall  be  appointed  by  his  majesty,  by  the  first  commission  under 
his  great  seal  to  try  treasons  committed  out  of  the  realm,  at  the 
time  and  place  which  such  commissioners  shall  appoint  for  the 
trial  thereof.  And  for  so  doing,  this  shall  be  your  warrant. 

From  the  council  chamber,  Whitehall,  this  12th  day  of  June, 
1781.  Bathurst,  L. 

Sandwich. 

Stormont. 

Clarendon. 

Amherst. 

Loughborough. 

To  the  governor  of  Tothill-fields  Bridewell,  or  his  deputy. 

Upon  the  receipt  of  this  order,  I was  called  before  a magistrate, 
and  my  bond  in  two  hundred  pounds,  and  two  sureties,  (Mr. 
West  and  Mr.  Copley,)  in  one  hundred  each,  was  taken  for  my 
appearance  accordingly ; and  I was  discharged  with  an  injunc- 
tion to  quit  the  kingdom  within  thirty  days. 

My  papers  still  remained  in  the  secretary  of  state’s  office,  and, 
to  recover  them,  I wrote  the  following  letter. 

To  Lord  George  Germaine,  &c.  &c. 

My  Lord — I beg  leave  to  make  my  acknowledgments  to  your 
lordship  for  your  humanity  in  discharging  me  from  my  confine- 
ment, and  to  assure  you,  that  I mean  to  comply  with  the  wishes 
of  government  in  the  strictest  manner,  by  departing  the  kingdom 
without  delay.  But  as  there  are  remaining  among  my  papers 
some  memorandums,  without  which  it  will  be  difficult  for  me  to 
settle  my  private  affairs,  and  which  have  not  the  least  connec- 


APPENDIX. 


325 


tion  either  with  the  public,  or  with  any  proofs  against  myself,  I 
beg  your  lordship  will  be  so  kind  as  to  direct  them  to  be  returned 
to  me.  I am,  &c.  &c. 

In  the  evening  I found  all  my  papers,  except  the  copies  of  two 
or  three  letters  to  you,  returned ; and  immediately  after  set  off 
for  Amsterdam,  through  Ostend,  Bruges,  Ghent,  Antwerp,  Ber- 
gen-op-Zoom,  &c. 

My  letters  from  Amsterdam  have  been  sufficiently  explicit  on 
public  affairs.  For  myself,  and  my  unaccountable  tour  from  the 
Texel  to  this  place,  I shall  reserve  it  for  another  letter,  and  con- 
clude this  in  repeating  with  how  much  duty,  affection,  and  grati- 
tude, I remember  that  I am,  honored  sir,  your  son, 

John  Trumbull. 

P.  S.  I had  omitted  giving  you  in  its  place,  a copy  of  what  I 
wrote  to  be  laid  before  Messrs.  Dunning  and  Lee,  because  I 
thought  I had  one  already  written.  I therefore  add  it  here. 

Case  of  Mr.  Trumbull , confined  in  Tothill- fields  Bridewell , 
upon  a charge  of  treasons  committed  in  America. 

The  prisoner  was  apprehended  at  his  lodgings  in  York  build- 
ings, in  the  evening  of  the  19th  of  November  last,  by  several  offi- 
cers from  Bow  street,  as  they  said,  on  suspicion  of  treason ; who, 
after  securing  his  papers,  carried  him  to  the  Brown  Bear  tavern 
in  Bow  street,  where  he  remained  in  custody  of  an  officer  until 
eleven  o’clock  the  next  morning,  when  he  was  examined  in  an 
indefinite  and  general  manner,  and  ordered  to  this  place  for  re- 
examination. On  the  next  day  (the  21st)  he  was  examined 
before  Justice  Wright,  when  the  following  questions,  with  his 
answers,  were  committed  to  writing  by  the  clerk  of  the  office. 

The  prisoner  here  speaks  from  memory,  not  being  permitted 
to.  take  a copy  at  that  time,  and  not  having  demanded  one  since. 

First  question.  Are  you  a son  of  Governor  Trumbull  of  Con- 
necticut ? 

Answer.  Yes. 

Second  question.  Do  you  acknowledge  that  this  book  and 
these  papers  were  found  in  your  bureau,  at  the  time  you  was  ap- 


326 


APPENDIX. 


prehended  ? (Meaning  a memorandum  book  hereafter  mentioned, 
one  letter  from  Mr.  Franklin,  Jr.  to  the  prisoner,  and  one  paper 
appearing  to  be  copy  of  a letter  from  the  prisoner  to  his  father.) 

Answer.  Yes. 

Third  question.  Do  you  acknowledge  that  this  letter  was 
found  upon  your  person,  at  the  time  you  was  apprehended? 
(Meaning  a letter  from  Wm.  White  to  the  prisoner.) 

Answer.  Yes. — After  which  followed,  “ When  did  you  leave 
“ America?  On  board  what  ship?  When  did  you  land  in  Eu- 
rope? Were  you  at  Paris  and  Ostend?  and  where,  and  on 
“what  day  did  you  land  in  England?” — The  memorandum 
book  and  three  papers  were  then  marked  by  the  clerk,  and  the 
prisoner  remanded  to  prison,  on  first  commitment,  till  the  4th  of 
December,  when  a detainer  was  lodged  against  him,  in  which  he 
is  charged  with  having  been  guilty  of  the  crime  of  high  treason, 
committed  in  his  majesty’s  colonies  and  plantations  in  America. 

This  charge  is  founded  on  copies  of  letters  found  in  the  mem- 
orandum book  before  mentioned,  appearing  to  be  written  by  the 
prisoner  to  the  American  Congress,  with  the  resignation  of  a com- 
mission which  he  had  received  from  them  ; and  these  copies, 
authenticated  by  the  prisoner’s  acknowledgment  of  the  property 
and  possession  of  the  book,  may  be  admitted  in  court  as  sufficient 
evidence  of  the  fact.  In  which  case,  the  prisoner  pleads  the  pro- 
tection of  a proclamation  published  by  his  majesty’s  commis- 
sioners in  New  York,  on  the  2d  of  October,  1778,  which  grants 
a pardon  of  all  treasons  committed  in  America  prior  to  that  day, 
and  necessarily  includes  his  case  ; he  having  resigned  his  com- 
mission, as  appears  from  the  date  of  the  letters,  on  the  22d  of 
February,  1777,  near  twenty  months  before. 

The  crown,  upon  a trial,  may  attempt  to  deprive  him  of  this 
protection,  by  urging  suspicions  of  his  having  been  guilty  of  after 
acts,  contradictory  to  the  spirit  of  the  proclamation ; but  of  this 
no  proof  can  be  adduced : while,  on  the  contrary,  the  prisoner 
has  in  his  power,  happily,  the  most  direct  evidence  of  his  having 
employed  himself  in  the  peaceable  study  of  the  liberal  arts,  par- 
ticularly painting,  from  the  3d  day  of  October,  to  the  day  on 
which  he  left  America,  as  well  as  his  having  obtained  no  office 


APPENDIX. 


327 


or  employment,  of  a nature  either  civil  or  military,  in  America 
within  that  time. 

In  the  beginning  of  May,  1780,  the  prisoner  embarked  for  Eu- 
rope, with  the  intention,  (which  he  had  long  entertained,)  of 
making  his  way  to  Mr.  West,  for  the  purpose  of  improving  in  his 
favorite  study  of  painting,  relying  for  his  security  against  any 
prosecution  for  his  past  conduct  on  the  proclamation  above  men- 
tioned, which  he  had  ever  considered  as  a sacred  and  inviolable 
pledge  of  national  faith.  But,  that  not  a doubt  might  remain  of 
his  most  perfect  security,  he  caused  his  wishes  to  be  made  known 
to  Lord  George  Germaine,  secretary  of  state  for  the  American 
department,  through  Richard  Jackson,  Esq.,  begging  his  lord- 
ship’s permission,  and  received  for  answer,  before  he  came  to 
England,  that,  “ though  no  official  leave  could  be  given,  yet,  if 
“he  came  to  England,  and  demeaned  himself  as  a quiet  and 
“ peaceable  subject,  no  notice  would  be  taken  of  whatever  had 
“passed  in  America.”  With  the  fullest  confidence  in  this  pro- 
clamation and  this  promise,  the  prisoner  came  to  London  in  July 
last,  took  lodgings  publicly,  and  resided  without  an  attempt  at 
concealment,  studying  under  the  instruction  of  Mr.  West,  and 
behaving  in  all  things  as  a quiet  and  peaceable  subject  of  the 
laws  of  the  kingdom,  until  the  day  on  which  he  was  appre- 
hended. 

These  facts,  having  been  urged  by  the  prisoner  on  his  exam- 
ination, and  by  his  friend  to  the  minister  in  person,  he  flattered 
himself  with  the  hope  of  being  soon  discharged ; but  finding  the 
time  growing  to  a tedious  length,  he  wrote  the  letter,  of  which 
No.  1,  of  the  papers  inclosed,  is  a copy,  to  Lord  George  Germaine, 
on  the  20th  of  January,  but  received  no  answer ; and  on  the  20th 
of  February,  finding  himself  in  danger  of  being  removed  to 
Clerkenwell  prison,  he  wrote  the  letter,  of  which  No.  2 is  a copy, 
to  the  solicitor  of  the  treasury,  to  which  likewise  no  answer  was 
returned,  though  the  kindness  of  another  gentleman  procured  him 
the  favor  which  Mr.  Chamberlayne’s  politeness  refused. 

This  mysterious  and  mortifying  silence  left  the  prisoner  very 
little  room  to  hope  for  any  indulgence  from  the  part  of  govern- 
ment j yet,  willing  to  try  every  method  of  obtaining  justice  in  a 


328 


APPENDIX. 


quiet  and  silent  manner,  he  took  no  other  step  than  attempting  to 
discover  and  counteract  those  misrepresentations  to  which  he 
conceived  he  owed  his  misfortunes ; — and  in  this  attempt  has 
succeeded  to  discover,  that  neither  his  own  nor  his  friend’s  letters 
to  Lord  George  Germaine  were  ever  seen  by  him,  being  opened 
and  withheld  by  his  clerk,  Mr.  Thompson ; and  that  no  order  has 
been  given  in  his  case,  either  by  the  king  or  privy  council ; and 
likewise  has  been  told  through  Mr.  Thompson,  that  no  applica- 
tion whatever  from  himself  or  any  of  his  friends,  would  avail  any 
thing  towards  procuring  his  enlargement. 

These  circumstances,  with  one  of  Mr.  Thompson’s  principal  ar- 
guments, which  was,  that  “ government  could  not  with  any  con- 
“ sistency  suffer  this  person  to  walk  the  streets  of  London  in  secu- 
“ rity,  while  so  many  of  his  majesty’s  loyal  subjects  were  driven 
“ from  their  estates  in  America,  by  those  people  whose  party  his 
“friends  publicly  aided,  and  perhaps  he  himself  favored  in  his 
“ heart,”  give  the  prisoner  reason  to  believe,  that  the  misrepresen- 
tations and  resentment  of  certain  people  from  America,  have  been 
the  original,  and  are  the  continuing  cause  of  his  confinement. 
He  is  confirmed  in  this  belief,  by  the  certainty  that  he  can  be  no 
political  or  national  object,  since  gentlemen  of  much  higher  rank 
and  abilities,  taken  in  actual  commission  service,  are  daily  ex- 
changed as  prisoners  of  war.  And  when  it  is  considered,  that 
had  he  himself  been  taken  in  action  against  his  majesty’s  troops, 
far  from  being  ignominiously  confined  in  prison  as  a felon,  he 
would  have  been  indulged  with  a parole  and  exchanged  in  his 
turn,  the  absurdity  appears  too  glaring  to  be  accounted  for,  except 
from  the  influence  of  private  malignity,  unless,  indeed  any  one 
will  say,  that,  in  ceasing  to  be  an  enemy,  he  added  to  his  guilt. 

The  prisoner  is  thus  deprived  of  every  hope,  except  from  the 
equity  of  the  law,  where  he  conceives  his  whole  defense  must 
rest  upon  the  validity  of  the  proclamation  before  mentioned ; and, 
therefore,  wishes  particular  attention  may  be  paid  to  its  nature. 
Published,  as  it  was,  under  the  sanction  of  a parliamentary  com- 
mission, he  ever  considered  it  as  sacred,  and  does  conceive  that 
to  trifle  with  it  in  his  case,  will  tend  to  eradicate  from  the  minds 
of  his  countrymen  all  remaining  confidence  in  the  national  faith 


329 


APPENDIX. 

of  Great  Britain,  whether  plighted  in  proclamations  of  pardon, 
or  in  proposals  of  accommodation  or  treaties : for,  after  such  a 
striking  example  of  Carthaginian  faith,  few  individuals  will  care 
to  trust  their  lives  in  the  same  hands,  and  public  transactions 
will  have  still  less  credit,  as  the  motive  to  disavow  them  may  be 
stronger.  Thus  the  sufferings  of  the  prisoner  will  become  a seal 
of  eternal  enmity  between  two  countries,  whose  mutual  interest 
is  union  and  peace. 

[Yol.  XV,  p.  213.] 

[Page  80.] 

To  His  Excellency,  Governor  Trumbull. 

Boston,  January  15,  1781. 

Sir — I have  received  a letter  from  your  son,  Col.  Trumbull, 
in  London,  covering  the  enclosed  letter  open,  which  he  gave  me 
leave  to  communicate  as  I thought  proper.  In  consequence  of 
this  permission,  it  has  been  communicated  to  the  governor  and  to 
the  general  court,  and  to  other  gentlemen ; which,  I presume, 
your  excellency  will  not  disapprove.  Col.  Trumbull  does  jus- 
tice to  the  injured  character  of  Mr.  Temple,  who,  if  I was  in 
no  way  connected  with  him,  I should  be  obliged  to  say  had 
merited  highly  of  America,  whose  directors,  notwithstanding, 
have  shown  no  disposition  hitherto  to  be  grateful.  As  the  letter 
has  been  applied  here  to  set  his  character  right,  if  your  excel- 
lency’s good  opinion  of  him  still  continues,  it  may  induce  you  to 
apply  it  in  the  same  way ; and  I would  beg  leave  to  suggest 
whether  your  communicating  it  to  Congress  would  not  answer  a 
good  purpose. 

I beg  your  acceptance  of  the  enclosed  pamphlet,  and  am, 
very  respectfully,  sir,  your  excellency’s  most  obedient  humble 
servant,  James  Bowdoin. 

Will  your  excellency  be  so  good  as  to  cause  the  enclosed, 'for 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Stiles,  to  be  forwarded  ? 

[Yol.  XIY,  p.  35.] 

To  the  same. 

Amsterdam,  July  13th,  1781. 

Honored  Sir — Though  at  the  same  time  you  receive  this, 
you  will  likewise  receive  letters  from  the  Baron  Y.  D.  Capellan, 

42 


330 


APPENDIX. 


and  from  Mr.  De  Neufville,  who  are  much  better  informed  in 
politics  than  I am,  I trust  it  will  not  be  superfluous  if  I give  you 
some  idea  of  what  I learn  since  my  arrival  here,  as  well  as  of 
the  state  of  affairs  in  general. 

The  English  declaration  of  war  against  these  states  found 
them  in  a most  unprepared  situation.  Their  trade  at  sea  unpro- 
tected ; their  ships  of  war  rotten  ; their  docks  very  empty  of 
stores,  and,  what  was  worse  than  all,  divided  amongst  them- 
selves. 

The  prince  is  devoted  to  the  English  interest,  from  motives  of 
old  attachment,  because  he  expects  to  marry  his  daughter  to  the 
prince  of  Wales,  and,  perhaps,  because  he  wishes  to  follow  the 
steps  of  his  friend  in  England  towards  absolute  power. 

The  duke  of  Brunswick  Wolfenbuttle,  who  is  field  marshal  of 
the  troops,  a man  of  deep  art  and  abilities,  is  of  the  same  party, 
and  directs  the  operations  of  the  prince  stadtholder.  They  have 
many  officers  in  their  interest,  and  are  followed  by  all  the  weak 
and  timid,  or  wicked  and  designing  men  in  this  country,  and 
have  influence  sufficient  to  delay  all  preparation  for  war,  all 
deliberations  which  tend  to  counteract  their  measures,  and,  in 
effect,  are  the  governing  party. 

The  city  of  Amsterdam,  on  the  other  hand,  is  head  of  the 
republican  party — warm  in  favor  of  war  and  America — but  hith- 
erto overpowered  by  the  Prince’s  interest.  Hence  arises  that 
slowness  of  preparation,  that  stupor,  which  at  present  runs 
through  all  the  movements  of  this  country.  Six  months  have 
passed  since  the  declaration  of  war,  and  nothing  has  yet  been 
attempted  on  the  offensive,  though  the  whole  eastern  coast  and 
convoys  of  Great  Britain  are  at  their  mercy.  A fleet  of  twelve  or 
fifteen  sail  are  now  ready  for  sea  at  the  Texel,  and  will  sail  in  a 
few  days.  I hope  they  will  give  us  reason  to  remember  the 
bravery  of  their  ancestors. 

The  armed  neutrality,  from  which  so  much  has  been  expect- 
ed, proves  at  last  a ridiculous  thing.  The  Dutch,  though  evi- 
dently within  the  treaty,  receive  and  will  receive  none  of  the 
stipulated  support.  The  English  fleets  go  on  in  their  depreda- 
tions, as  uncontrolled  as  ever ; and  the  court  of  France,  who 


APPENDIX. 


331 


really  appear  to  be  the  only  active  and  determined  power  in 
Europe,  have  presented  a memorial  to  the  court  of  Russia,  stating 
that  having  found  the  treaty  of  armed  neutrality  ineffectual  to 
all  the  purposes  declared  to  have  been  its  object,  finding  the  sea 
as  much  as  ever  insulted  by  the  British  vessels,  and  no  power 
benefited  by  it,  unless  it  be  the  English,  he,  the  king  of  France, 
had  thought  proper  to  declare  that  he  should  immediately  give 
orders  to  his  fleets  and  ships  to  change  their  line  of  conduct 
towards  ships  and  vessels  of  the  neutral  powers,  and  to  govern 
themselves  by  the  same  rules  as  he  should  find  the  English  court 
to  follow.  We  wait  for  an  answer  to  this. 

Much  has  been  said  of  a mediation  for  peace ; but  I have  no 
idea  from  what  I can  gather  here  or  in  England,  that  there  is 
the  least  prospect  of  it.  For,  although  it  has  become  a prevail-, 
ing  opinion  in  Great  Britain,  that  the  conquest  of  America  is  a 
chimera,  yet  there  is  very  little  inclination,  even  in  those  who 
call  themselves  the  friends  of  iVmerica,  to  accede  to  the  acknowl- 
edgment of  our  independence  ; there  are  few  who  think  libe- 
rally ; and  by  far  the  majority  will  rather  push  forward,  though 
to  ruin,  than  give  up  their  insolent  ideas  of  superiority. 

The  emperor  and  empress  of  Russia  are  much  talked  of  as 
mediators,  but  I consider  them  all  as  watching  for  a favorable 
opportunity  of  serving  themselves ; and  it  is  very  questionable 
whether  in  place  of  peace  we  shall  not  have  a great  war  in 
Europe.  The  emperor,  who  is  a prince  of  more  abilities  than 
most  others,  of  great  activity,  and  an  inquisitive  spirit,  has  been 
lately  travelling  through  his  new  dominions  of  the  Netherlands, 
where  he  has  made  Ostend,  a free  port,  and  introduced  several 
regulations  in  favor  of  commerce.  He  has  been  at  the  Hague 
and  the  Texel,  and  is  now  in  this  town.  He  views  every  thing ; 
examines  every  thing ; studies  every  thing  ; and  promises  fair  to 
make  a great  figure  on  the  political  stage. 

The  Spaniards  are  amusing  themselves  still  before  Gibraltar. 
The  French,  very  much  to  their  honor,  have  seventy-six  sail  of 
the  line  fit  for  service,  of  which  every  one  is  at  present  at  sea ; 
an  uncommon  exertion.  The  Brest  fleet  consists  of  eighteen 
sail,  and  have  been  out  some  days.  We  are  wishing  they  may 


332 


APPENDIX. 


meet  Admiral  Darby,  who  is  out  with  twelve  or  fifteen  sail.  We 
hear  from  the  West  Indies,  that  De  Grasse  has  routed  the  Eng- 
lish fleet  under  Sir  S.  Hood,  and  taken  the  island  of  St.  Lucia, 
with  all  the  garrison  and  several  ships.  We  wait  anxiously  for 
a confirmation  of  it ; as,  if  true,  it  will  divert  Mr.  Digby  from 
his  destination  with  six  sail  of  the  line  to  America,  and  distract 
the  whole  plan  of  Great  Britain.  Hyder  Ali  is  going  on  victo- 
riously in  the  East  Indies,  where  he  is  besieging  Madras ; or,  as 
other  accounts  say,  has  taken  it.  The  company’s  servants,  as 
plunderers  commonly  do,  quarrel  with  each  other,  to  the  ruin  of 
the  public  affairs.  They  have  offered  peace  on  very  humiliating 
terms  to  the  Mahrattas,  their  other  enemies,  who  have  spurned 
the  proposal,  and  push  on  their  side  with  new  vigor.  At  the 
same  time  the  French  fleet  is  superior  in  those  seas,  and  the  dis- 
tance so  great  that  all  may  be  ruined  before  any  succors  can 
arrive  from  Great  Britain. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  confusion,  where  fear  influences  some, 
views  of  interest  others,  and  British  gold  many,  it  is  impossible 
to  foretell  the  events  of  a month  or  week.  In  general  we  may 
conclude,  that  the  affairs  of  our  country  were  never  in  a more 
prosperous  state  ; for  the  quarrels  of  Europe  will  doubtless  divert 
the  attention  of  our  enemies  from  us,  and,  perhaps,  the  thea- 
tre of  blood  may  be  shifted  long  before  the  tragedy  shall  be 
ended. 

Mr.  Adams  is  not  here  at  present.  I shall  see  him  when  he 
returns.  Mr.  Temple  came  over  from  England  some  weeks 
before  me,  and  is  now  here ; and  it  is  my  duty  to  say,  that  the 
paragraph  in  the  London  papers,  advertising  me  as  an  incendiary, 
and  signed  with  the  initials  of  his  name,  was  a villainous  trick 
of  some  American  refugees  to  ruin  him  and  me  at  once.  I fear 
you  never  received  a letter  which  I wrote  at  that  time,  inclosing 
the  paragraph,  and  explaining  it.  This,  however,  will  remove 
all  idea  of  his  being  such  a wretch  ; for,  on  the  contrary,  I 
have  every  reason  to  believe  that  he  is  an  honest  friend  to  his 
country. 

Dr.  Price,  and  Mr.  D.  Hartley,  whom  I saw  when  I left  Lon- 
don, desired  me  to  present  their  compliments  to  you.  They, 


APPENDIX. 


333 


and  some  few  others,  sincerely  wish  us  well ; but  the  number 
is  small.  I am,  honored  sir,  your  dutiful  John  Trumbull. 

15th.  The  province  of  Friesland  have  just  resolved  that  a 
strict  alliance  with  France  is  necessary  ; and  that  they  consent 
to  acknowledge  the  independence  of  America,  and  to  receive 
Mr.  Adams  as  the  ambassador  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

[Vol.  XV,  p.  6.] 

To  the  same. 

Amsterdam,  July  13th,  1781. 

Honored  Sir — I have  written  you  three  other  letters,  which 
will  go  by  this  conveyance  ; one  of  which  regards  entirely  the 
business  of  the  public  ; one,  in  a few  words,  informs  you  of  my 
health  and  liberty ; and  the  third  is  upon  the  affair  of  Mr. 
Lane.  I did  intend  to  have  sent  you  likewise  a narrative  of  my 
adventure  in  England,  \frith  copies  of  several  letters  which  I 
wrote  at  that  time,  and  from  which  you  might  be  assured  that 
my  conduct,  while  in  the  power  of  my  enemies,  was  not  degra- 
ding. But,  when  I left  London,  I chose  to  send  letters  of  every 
kind  separate  from  myself,  and  the  box  containing  them  and  my 
books,  coming  by  way  of  Ostend,  has  not  arrived  yet.  In  a few 
words,  therefore,  finding  myself  apprehended  on  the  suspicion  of 
treason,  which,  by  the  suspension  of  the  habeas  corpus  act,  ren- 
ders all  proof  unnecessary,  and  all  justification  useless,  I deter- 
mined at  once  upon  the  manly  and  open  line  of  conduct ; at- 
tempted to  disguise  nothing  ; told  the  magistrate  I was  your  son, 
and  had  been  an  officer  in  the  service  of  my  country ; but  that  I 
had  come  to  England,  relying  on  the  promise  of  Lord  George 
Germaine,  who  had  said  that  I might  rely  on  being  perfectly 
safe  so  long  as  I obeyed  the  laws  of  the  realm ; and  upon  the 
faith  of  a proclamation,  which  had  promised  pardon  and  oblivion 
to  all  offenses  of  an  earlier  date  than  the  third  of  October,  1778, 
which  was  the  case  of  my  military  services.  But  if  it  was  deter- 
mined to  dispense  with  both  public  and  private  faith,  .1  felt  my- 
self perfectly  in  their  power,  and  had  nothing  left  but  to  request 
the  usage  due  to  my  rank  and  education,  and  then  endeavor  to 
bear  my  misfortune  with  manliness.  I was  sent  to  prison,  where 
I had  a tolerable  apartment,  lived  with  decency,  and  was  treated 


334 


APPENDIX. 


respectfully  by  the  prison  keeper,  and  my  friends  were  permitted 
to  visit  me.  I read  the  newspapers,  and  in  short,  except  the  nar- 
row walls  of  the  prison,  I had  not  much  to  complain  of.  Mr. 
West,  who  has  been  very  much  my  friend,  spoke  immediately 
both  to  the  king  and  the  American  secretary,  and  was  encoura- 
ged by  both  to  expect  that,  as  soon  as  the  noise  should  have  sub- 
sided a little,  I should  be  discharged.  However,  after  waiting 
two  months,  I wrote  to  Lord  George  Germaine,  but  received  no 
answer.  Mr.  West,  at  the  same  time,  could  not  obtain  a second 
interview  with  him.  In  February,  a Mr.  Hunt,  a refugee  from 
Philadelphia,  formerly  an  assistant  of  Mr.  West,  conversing  with 
Mr.  West  on  the  subject,  was  so  far  convinced  of  the  absurdity 
and  injustice  of  the  treatment  I had  received,  that  he  entered 
warmly  into  my  interest,  and  with  great  perseverance  urged  the 
other  refugees  to  assist  him  in  undeceiving  the  ministry,  and 
gaining  my  discharge.  Not  one,  however,  joined  him ; and,  after 
a fortnight’s  solicitation,  he  was  told  by  Mr.  Thompson,  Lord 
George  Germaine’s  secretary,  a Woburn  lad,  that  he  made  himself 
very  busy  in  this  affair,  and  very  little  to  his  own  reputation  ; 
that  he  had  best  stop,  for  all  his  applications  in  my  behalf  were 
useless.  I was  at  this  time  informed  that  it  was  possible  for  me 
to  bring  on  my  trial  if  I was  willing  to  hazard  it.  I therefore 
drew  out  a state  of  my  case,  and  requested  a friend  to  lay  it 
before  Mr.  Dunning  and  other  council  for  their  advice ; at  the 
same  time  my  intentions  were  made  known  to  Mr.  John  Lee, 
a counsellor  of  eminence,  member  of  parliament,  and  a friend  to 
our  country,  who  immediately  honored  me  with  a visit  in  prison. 
He  told  me  that  I had  been  misinformed  ; that  the  suspension  of 
habeas  corpus  was  an  absolute  bar  to  my  trial,  which  he  should 
otherwise  have  thought  it  proper  to  push.  However,  though 
there  was  no  hope  from  that  quarter,  he  thought  it  might  be 
stated  as  a matter  of  humanity  and  justice ; and  I might  be 
assured  of  his  and  his  friends’  influence  in  my  favor.  He  accord- 
ingly soon  spoke  to  Lord  Rockingham,  Mr.  Burke,  and  others ; 
and  I then  wrote  to  Mr.  Burke,  begging  his  influence,  which 
produced  me  a line  from  him.  He  assured  me  of  his  warmest 
endeavors  in  my  favor.  Mr.  C.  J.  Fox  likewise  saw  me,  and 


APPENDIX. 


335 


assured  me  the  same.  Their  united  efforts  soon  produced  the 
desired  determination  for  my  discharge ; but  the  form  occasioned 
some  delay,  as  being  an  act  for  which  there  was  no  precedent. 
It  was  at  length  determined  that  an  order  from  the  privy  council 
was  necessary  to  admit  me  to  bail.  In  this  mode,  therefore,  it 
was  done  with  a stipulation  that  I should  quit  the  kingdom  within 
thirty  days,  and  remain  very  quiet  during  that  time.  Mr.  West 
and  Mr.  Copley  are  my  bail  in  £100  each,  and  myself  in  £200. 
The  copy  of  the  order  of  council  I inclose  you  as  a curiosity. 
I remained  only  ten  days  to  settle  my  affairs,  in  which  time  I 
saw  Mr.  Thompson,  who  treated  me  now  with  as  much  polite- 
ness as  he  had  insolence  before,  and  returned  me  most  of  my 
papers. 

I am  under  great  obligations  to  the  gentlemen  whose  names  I 
have  mentioned,  for  their  very  great  humanity  and  friendship ; 
and  I must  not  forget  to  say  how  generously  the  younger  Mr. 
De  Neufville  has  behaved  to  me.  I was  well  acquainted  with 
him  in  London,  and  on  his  arrival  in  Holland,  and  finding  how 
long  I was  confined,  he  wrote  to  his  correspondent  there,  desir- 
ing him  to  call  upon  me  and  say,  that  if  I had  occasion  for  any 
sum  of  money,  or  other  assistance,  I might  command  him.  I 
have  received  from  him  £100,  which  has  brought  me  off  with- 
out the  necessity  of  being  under  obligations  to  any  persons  in 
England.  The  expense  has  been  the  most  disagreeable  article 
of  the  adventure,  as  it  cost  me  about  twice  as  much  as  it  did 
abroad.  However,  all  is  well  that  ends  well ; and  I have  occa- 
sion to  thank  the  Father  of  all  mercies  that  I have  constantly 
enjoyed  my  health,  and  have  now  my  liberty. 

Mr.  De  Neufville  has,  immediately  on  my  arrival  here,  invited 
me  to  his  house,  where  I am  at  present  very  hospitably  and  ele- 
gantly entertained. 

[Yol.  XV,  p.  7.] 

To  the  same. 

Amsterdam,  July  20th,  1781. 

Honored  Sir — Immediately  on  my  arrival  here  I had  the 
pleasure  to  receive  your  two  letters,  of  the  30th  of  December  and 
2d  of  January  last,  with  those  of  Mr.  Erkelens  of  the  same  date, 


336 


APPENDIX. 


from  Mr.  De  Neufville,  with  whom  I have  conversed  particularly 
on  the  subject,  and  am  sorry  to  say  that  for  any  thing  immediate, 
I find  the  prospect  by  no  means  flattering. 

The  public  credit  of  the  United  States  has  been  injured  in 
every  part  of  Europe  by  the  mismanagement  of  her  affairs  in  that 
department ; insomuch  that  it  is  at  this  day  very  low  even  in 
France  ; and  consequently  the  people  of  this  country,  judging 
from  what  they  see  there,  are  slow  and  fearful  of  advancing  to 
our  aid.  The  loan  on  account  of  the  United  States,  opened  by 
Mr.  Adams,  at  first  promised  great  success,  and  nearly  the  whole 
sum  was  subscribed  for,  when  the  news  of  the  capture  of  St.  Eu- 
statia,  partly  by  the  alarm  which  it  occasioned  here,  partly  by 
the  prevailing  idea  that  the  loss  to  America  was  very  great,  but 
more  by  the  increased  demand  for  money  to  repair  the  losses  sus- 
tained there,  produced  quite  a stagnation,  and  put  an  entire  stop 
to  its  success.  It  still  rests  in  that  state,  and  until  some  change 
in  the  political  system  of  this  country,  or  the  arrival  of  news  of 
great  success  on  the  part  of  America,  it  will  remain  impossible  to 
succeed.  So  long  as  the  United  States  find  so  great  difficulty  in 
procuring  credit,  there  is  no  probability  that  any  individual  state 
can  have  better  success.  To  make  the  attempt  might  prove 
injurious  to  the  general  interest,  and  by  its  failure,  for  it  would 
almost  inevitably  fail,  would  add  to  the  difficulties  in  future. 

The  terms  on  which  a loan  may  eventually  be  procured,  are 
as  uncertain  as  the  political  events  which  may  influence  them ; 
but  it  is  probable  that  they  may  fall  within  the  act.  This,  how- 
ever, is  not  so  certain  but  that  it  may  be  justly  asked,  “How  far 
“ the  necessities  of  the  state  may  justify  exceeding  those  limits 
“in  case  of  an  impossibility  of  success  on  better  terms.”  The 
great  difficulty  consists  in  commencing.  When  once  the  ex- 
ample is  successfully  set,  the  business  will  be  perfectly  easy  for 
any  sum.  Another  proposal  is  likewise  to  be  made  as  a prelim- 
inary step  to  our  success,  that  is,  the  sending  one  or  two  ships 
with  cargoes  on  account  of  the  state,  which,  on  their  arrival  here, 
should  be  advertised  for  public  sale,  to  draw  the  attention  of  the 
people  at  the  same  time  that  the  loans  are  published,  holding  out 
the  idea  that  the  produce  of  the  sale  was  intended  as  a deposit 


APPENDIX. 


337 


for  the  first  or  two  first  years’  interest.  This  would  convey  a 
most  favorable  impression  of  the  credit  of  the  state,  and  at  the 
same  time,  if  it  were  desired,  a part  might  be  shipped  immedi- 
ately in  clothing  and  stores  for  the  army.  One  method  of  doing 
this,  and  which  appears  to  me  the  best,  is  of  loading  with  beef 
and  pork  to  the  West  Indies,  where  it  is  much  wanted,  and  the 
price  high,  vesting  the  sale  in  sugars,  indigo,  &c.,  which  are  pro- 
portionably  low,  and  then  proceed  hither,  where  the  prices  of  these 
articles  will  probably  be  very  high.  Should  this  idea  meet  your 
approbation,  it  will  be  necessary  to  enter  upon  it  immediately,  as 
the  ships  ought  to  sail  from  the  West  Indies  early  in  February, 
or  the  first  of  March  at  latest,  which  may  bring  them  here  the 
last  of  April,  before  the  enemy’s  cruisers  are  abroad ; and,  as  they 
must  come  north  about,  there  must  be  some  on  board  who  have 
made  the  voyage.  Whether  this  mode  be  the  most  eligible  or 
not,  the  state  must  determine,  but  something  of  the  kind  ap- 
pears to  me  indispensably  necessary  ; and  that  it  will  be  really 
impossible  to  effect  any  thing  but  through  the  impression  which 
a deposit  of  this  kind  will  have  upon  the  minds  of  people  here. 

Mr.  De  Neufville  writes  you  at  this  time.  The  business  here 
is  of  such  a nature  as  can  only  be  transacted  by  a mercantile 
house  acquainted  with  finance  and  the  country ; and  Mr.  De 
Neufville  & Son  are  unquestionably  the  most  worthy  the  confi- 
dence of  the  state,  from  their  knowledge,  connections,  and  real 
attachment  to  America. 

As  I see  no  service  I can  render  the  state  at  present,  by  stay- 
ing in  the  country,  and  can  receive  no  instructions  but  in  con- 
sequence of  this,  I have  engaged  my  passage  home  on  board  the 
South  Carolina  frigate,  and  may  probably  see  you  before  this 
arrives,  when  I can  converse  with  more  freedom  than  it  is  proper 
to  write.  Lest,  however,  I should  be  so  -unfortunate  as  to  be- 
come a prisoner  a second  time,  I have  written  thus  largely,  and 
have  inclosed  a copy  of  Mr.  Adams’s  obligations,  which  will  be 
sufficient  as  to  forms.  I am,  honored  sir,  your  very  dutiful  son, 

John  Trumbull. 


[Yol.  XY,  p.  20.] 


43 


338 


APPENDIX  . 


[Page  81.] 

Sir  J.  Temple  to  Gov.  Trumbull. 

Boston,  Nov.  20th,  1781. 

Dear  Sir — I thank  you  for  your  very  obliging  letter  of  the 
10th.  It  was  intentional,  my  omitting  in  my  last  to  inform  you 
of  the  violent  gale  of  wind  that  happened  at  the  Texel,  the  day 
after  the  Charlestown  sailed  from  thence,  and  of  some  other  cir- 
cumstances which  were  weighty  upon  my  mind,  concerning  the 
mishap  of  that  frigate.  For  why  should  I have  alarmed  your 
tenderest  feelings  before  there  was  an  absolute  necessity  for  it  ? 
I thank  God,  that  it  is  now  in  my  power  to  tell  you  that  there  is 
no  doubt  but  that  your  son  is  very  well,  at  Corunna  in  Spain. 
A vessel  from  Bilboa  yesterday,  brings  certain  intelligence  of  her 
having  put  into  that  port,  perhaps  in  distress,  but  that  the  pas- 
sengers were  very  well.  They  had  left  the  frigate  in  disgust 
with  the  captain  or  commodore,  and  were  seeking  passages  by 
various  ways  to  this  country.  Give  me  leave  to  congratulate 
you  with  a sincere  heart  upon  this  occasion ; and  to  hope  that 
you  will  see  my  friend  and  acquaintance  in  a short  time,  in  a 
vessel  expected  from  Bilboa  to  Cape  Ann.  I can  only  say,  that 
had  he  followed  our  wishes,  he  never  would  have  embarked  on 
board  that  vessel.  For  many  sufficient  reasons  to  my  own  mind, 
I would  not  have  embarked  in  her  even  to  have  had  the  gift  of 
her  on  my  arrival  here.  However,  it  is  with  real  pleasure  that  I 
know  he  is  safe,  although  I lament  his  being  at  so  great  a dis- 
tance from  us.  Some  of  the  passengers,  I understood,  went  back 
to  Amsterdam  to  seek  a passage  home  ; if  he  should  have  taken 
that  line,  I hope  and  trust  that  he  will  come  out  in  the  spring 
with  intelligence  of  a general  peace,  founded  upon  what  princi- 
pally concerns  us,  independence  of  the  United  States,  and  perfect 
freedom  of  the  ocean.  Matters  which  more  immediately  concern 
European  powers,  I hope  will  easily  be  settled  to  the  satisfaction 
of  all  parties  friendly  to  us,  however  disagreeable  the  pill  may  be 
to  that  insane  kingdom,  now  fallen,  never  more  to  appear  in  the 
first  rank  of  nations.  May  such,  the  consequence  of  their  per- 
fidy and  wickedness,  be  a warning  to  rising  states  and  kingdoms, 


APPENDIX. 


339 


never  to  persevere  in  wrong  as  a path  that  can  possibly  bring 
them  into  the  right  road.  I hope  that  you  are  very  well,  and 
am,  with  great  truth  and  respect,  dear  sir,  your  excellency’s  most 
obedient  and  most  humble  servant,  J.  Temple. 

[Vol.  XV,  P.  256.] 


[No.  6,  Chap.  XI,  p.  164.] 

New  York,  April  2d,  1790. 

Proposals  by  John  Trumbull,  for  publishing  by  subscription, 
two  prints  from  original  pictures,  painted  by  himself,  representing 
the  death  of  Gen.  Warren,  at  the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  and  the 
death  of  Gen.  Montgomery,  in  the  attack  of  Quebec. 

In  the  battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill,  the  following  portraits  are  intro- 
duced. 

American. — Maj.  Gen.  Warren,  and  Maj.  Gen.  Putnam. 

British. — Gen.  Sir  William  Howe,  Gen.  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
Lieut.  Col.  John  Small,  Major  Pitcairn  and  Lieut.  Pitcairn. 

In  the  attack  of  Quebec,  are  seen  Gen.  Montgomery,  Col. 
Thompson,  Major  McPherson,  Capt.  Cheesman. 

Conditions  of  subscription. — The  prints  will  be  engraved  by 
two  of  the  most  eminent  artists  in  Europe.  The  size  will  be 
twenty  inches  by  thirty  inches.  The  price  to  subscribers,  three 
guineas  for  each  print — one  half  to  be  paid  at  the  time  of  subscrib- 
ing, the  remainder  on  the  delivery  of  the  prints,  which  will  be  as 
soon  as  the  work  (which  is  already  considerably  advanced)  can 
possibly  be  completed. 

Subscriptions  are  received  in  America  only  by  Mr.  Trumbull. 
All  subscription  receipts  will  be  signed  by  him,  as  well  as  by  M. 
Poggi  of  London,  under  whose  direction  the  plates  are  engraving 
and  will  be  published. 

These  prints  are  the  first  of  a series,  in  which  it  is  proposed 
to  represent  the  most  important  events  of  the  American  rev- 
olution. 

No  period  of  the  history  of  man,  is  more  interesting  than  that 
in  which  we  have  lived.  The  memory  of  scenes  in  which  were 


340 


APPENDIX. 


laid  the  foundations  of  that  free  government,  which  secures  our 
national  and  individual  happiness,  must  remain  ever  dear  to  us 
and  to  our  posterity ; and  if  national  pride  be  in  any  case  justifia- 
ble, Americans  have  a right  to  glory  in  having  given  to  the  world 
an  example,  whose  influence  is  rapidly  spreading  the  love  of  free- 
dom through  other  nations,  and  every  where  ameliorating  the 
condition  of  man. 

To  assist  in  preserving  the  memory  of  the  illustrious  events 
which  have  marked  this  period  of  our  country’s  glory,  as  well  as 
of  the  men  who  have  been  the  most  important  actors  in  them,  is 
the  object  of  this  undertaking.  Historians  will  do  justice  to  an 
era  so  important,  but  to  be  read,  the  language  in  which  they 
write  must  be  understood.  The  language  of  painting  is  univer- 
sal and  intelligible  in  all  nations,  and  in  every  age. 

As  several  years  of  his  time,  and  a very  considerable  expense, 
are  necessary  to  accomplish  this  undertaking,  it  would  be  an  im- 
prudent sacrifice  to  the  mere  hope  of  reputation  to  go  more  deeply 
into  it,  without  a probability  of  ultimate  success.  That  he  may 
judge  of  the  degree  of  this  probability,  Mr.  Trumbull,  by  the 
advice  of  his  friends,  proposes  this  subscription,  and  flatters  him- 
self with  a hope  of  meeting  that  patronage  from  his  countrymen, 
which  will  justify  his  pursuing  the  object  with  ardor,  and  with- 
out which,  it  is  impossible  that  so  expensive  a work  should  be 
continued. 

The  subjects  proposed  to  be  represented,  in  addition  to  the  two 
foregoing,  of  Bunker’s  Hill  and  Quebec,  are,  The  Declaration  of 
Independence.*  Battle  at  Trenton.*  Battle  of  Princeton.*  Sur- 
render of  Gen.  Burgoyne.  Treaty  with  France.  Battle  of  Eu- 
taw  Springs.  Surrender  of  Yorktown.*  Treaty  of  Peace.  Evac- 
uation of  New  York.  Resignation  of  Gen.  Washington.  The 
Arch  at  Trenton.  Inauguration  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States. 

Each  picture  will  contain  portraits  of  the  principal  characters 
who  were  present  in  the  scene  represented.  Those  marked  with 
stars  are  considerably  advanced ; the  prints  from  the  whole  will 
be  executed  of  the  same  size,  and  by  the  most  eminent  en- 


gravers. 


APPENDIX. 


341 


NAMES  OF  SUBSCRIBERS. 


George  Washington,  4 sets. 
John  Adams, 

William  Samuel  Johnson, 
Ralph  Izard, 

John  Langdon, 

Samuel  Johnston, 

George  Reed, 

Richard  Basset, 

Tristram  Dalton, 

Benjamin  Hawkins, 

Charles  Carroll, 

Philip  Schuyler, 

Pierce  Butler, 

Oliver  Ellsworth, 

Rufus  King, 

Richard  Henry  Lee, 

Robert  Morris, 

Frederick  A.  Muhlenberg, 
James  Madison,  Jr. 

William  Smith, 

Josiah  Parker, 

Elias  Boudinot, 

Egbert  Benson, 

John  Page, 

Thomas  Hartley, 

Richard  B.  Lee, 

Thomas  Tudor  Tucker, 
John  Lawrance, 

Nicholas  Gilman, 

George  Clymer, 

Thomas  Tennickson, 
Abraham  Baldwin, 

John  Yining, 

Jeremiah  Wadsworth,  2 sets. 
William  Floyd, 

Thomas  Fitz  Simmons, 


Alexander  White, 

Elbridge  Gerry, 

Theodoric  Bland, 

Jonathan  Trumbull,  2 sets. 
Benjamin  Huntington, 
Thomas  Jefferson,  2 sets. 
John  Jay, 

Alexander  Hamilton,  2 sets. 
George  Clinton, 

Robert  R.  Livingston, 
Henry  Knox, 

Thomas  McKean, 

Sharp  Delaney, 

Thomas  Mifflin, 

George  Joy, 

James  Hutchinson, 

John  Brown, 

Matthew  McConnell, 
Nathaniel  Lewis, 

John  Yaughan, 

Samuel  Yaughan, 

Tench  Coxe, 

Richard  Platt, 

James  Watson, 

William  Duer, 

John  Kean, 

William  Dunlap, 

Ebenezer  Stevens, 

Elisha  Boudinot, 

John  Delafield, 

Theodosius  Fowler, 

Samuel  Meredith, 

Samuel  Bard, 

Samuel  Blodget, 

Nathan  Blodget, 

Thomas  Maule, 


342 


APPENDIX. 


Joseph  Smith, 
Theophilus  Cazenove, 
David  Humphreys, 
Andrew  Craigie,  6 sets. 
Gabriel  Manigault, 
Nathan  Heyward, 
Edward  Rutledge, 
Henry  Rutledge, 

Lewis  Morris, 

Nathan  Russell, 

James  Ladson, 

William  Washington, 
Jonathan  Freeman, 
Charles  C.  Pinckney, 
James  Freeman, 

Samuel  Elliott, 
Christopher  Gore, 
Jonathan  Mason, 
Samuel  Breck, 

David  Sears, 

Theodore  Lyman, 
Patrick  Jeffrey, 

John  Lowell, 

Benjamin  Lincoln, 

John  Harbach, 

John  Codman, 

Joseph  Barrell, 

Thomas  Russell,  2 sets. 
William  Phillips, 
Samuel  Gore, 

Charles  Bulfinch, 
Thomas  Dawes, 

James  Sullivan, 

John  Amory,  Jr. 

John  Gore, 

Daniel  Sargent, 

William  Payne, 

John  Welles, 

Joseph  Russell, 


Winthrop  Sargent, 

Simon  Wilmer, 

William  Tudor, 

Herman  Le  Roy, 

Henry  Middleton, 

Samuel  Griffin, 

James  Yard, 

James  Bowdoin, 

Francis  Johnston, 

Edward  Campbell, 
Cantwell  Jones, 

William  Smith, 

Horatio  Gates, 

Baron  Steuben, 

Daniel  Penfield, 

Daniel  Cotton, 

L.  M.  Cutting, 

Dominic  Lynch, 

Edward  Haskell, 

Joseph  Manigault, 

Francis  Kinloch, 

Henry  Laurens,  Jr. 

Henry  M.  Bird, 

David  Ramsay, 

John  Rutledge,  Jr. 
Thomas  Pinckney, 

Ralph  Izard,  Jr. 

John  B.  Holmes, 
Alexander  Turnbull, 

Mrs.  Motte, 

Mr.  S.  Horry, 

Thomas  Middleton,  2 sets. 
James  Shoolbred, 

Hugh  Rutledge, 

Rev.  Richard  Smith, 
William  Allston, 

Judge  Grimke, 

James  Smith, 

Col.  Henry  Laurens, 


APPENDIX. 


Thomas  Shubrick, 

Charles  Pinckney, 

Cleland  Kinloch, 

John  Julius  Pringle, 

Henry  William  Dessaussure, 
Hon.  John  Rutledge, 

George  Miller, 

John  Parker,  Jr. 

B.  Petry, 

Mrs.  C.  C.  Pinckney, 
Frederick  Rutledge, 

Thomas  Heyward, 

Peter  Smith, 

Richard  Hutson, 

Do.  for  Charleston  College, 
John  Chesnut, 

William  Tunno, 

Edward  Rutledge,  Jr. 
Thomas  Rhett  Smith, 

Hon.  Judge  Bee, 

William  Constable, 

Samuel  Fleming,  < 

William  Edgar, 

Alexander  McComb, 

Daniel  McCormick, 

Daniel  C.  Yerplanck, 
Andrew  Craigie, 

John  Pintard, 

Thomas  Lee  Shippen, 
Robert  Buchanan, 

Isaac  Roosevelt, 

William  Seton, 

Benjamin  Walker, 

Joshua  Waddington, 

William  Temple  Franklin, 
Walter  Stuart, 

Blair  McClenachan, 
Alexander  Nesbitt, 

Francis  Hopkinson, 


343 

Robert  Milligan, 

Philemon  Dickerson, 

David  Rittenhouse, 

William  Miller, 

William  Miller,  Jr. 

George  Fox, 

Thomas  Willing, 

Richard  Yarick, 

Robert  Smith, 

William  Thornton, 

Thomas  Palmer, 

John  Bleakly, 

William  Bingham, 

William  Lewis, 

Richard  Bache, 

Henry  Hill, 

Jonathan  D.  Sargent, 

Richard  Butler. 

* 9 

George  Bartram, 

John  Lardner, 

William  McPherson, 

John  Jones, 

John  Warren, 

John  Lloyd, 

Mrs.  Greene, 

Francis  Simmons, 

Cyrus  Griffin, 

George  Wythe, 

General  Weedon, 

Joseph  Anthony, 

Joseph  Anthony,  Jr. 

Thomas  Metcalfe, 

John  B.  Boardley, 

William  Hillhouse, 

William  W.  Woolsey, 

Joseph  Williams, 

Caleb  Davis, 

Jedediah  Huntington, 

Joseph  Coolidge, 


344 


APPENDIX. 


Joseph  Ward, 

Nathaniel  Prime, 

Theophilus  Parsons, 

John  Darby, 

Charles  Vaughan, 

John  Apthorp, 

Rufus  G.  Amory, 

Thomas  H.  Perkins, 
Benjamin  Pickman, 

Oliver  Brewster, 

Samuel  Blagge, 

William  Wetmore, 

Nathan  Bond, 

Giles  Alexander, 

John  I.  Waldo, 

Israel  Thorndike, 

William  Scollay, 

Samuel  W.  Pomeroy, 

Col.  Nightingale, 

Cyprian  S terry, 

John  Clarke, 

Jeremiah  Olney, 

Welcome  Arnold, 

James  Brown, 

Nicholas  Brown, 

Samuel  Anderson, 

C.  Richmond, 

George  Meade, 

Ternant,  minister  of  France, 
Samuel  Blodget, 

Cerrachi,  sculptor  of  Rome, 
Francis  V.  Berckell, 

Richard  Potter, 

Edward  Fox, 

Judge  Waters, 

Oliver  Wolcott, 

Charles  Pettit, 

Wrilliam  Bayard, 

J.  C.  Vanden  Heuvel, 


George  Harrison, 

Isaac  Bronson r 
William  Reid, 

William  Paca, 

Charles  G.  Pale  ski, 

William  Campbell, 

Charles  Goldsborough, 
Stephen  Kingston, 

William  Henderson, 

Edward  Livingston, 
Benjamin  Smith, 

Thomas  Willing,  Jr. 

John  Maitland, 

Sir  John  Temple, 

Michael  Joy, 

Edward  Hand, 

P.  Whatman, 

Sack  Lewis, 

John  Coffin  Jones, 

John  Templeman, 

Daniel  Sargent,  Jr. 

Henry  Newman, 

Joseph  Woodward, 

Thomas  Perkins, 

Francis  Amory, 

Daniel  D.  Rogers, 

Josiah  Knapp, 

John  Gardner, 

Aaron  Dexter, 

Samuel  Shaw, 

Simon  Elliott,  Jr. 

Lord  Mountstuart,  London. 

S.  Deane, 

James  Hillhouse, 

Geo.  Hammond,  Brit,  minister. 
P.  Gauson, 

Jacob  Irving, 

P.  Deane,  for  — Powell,  Esq. 
Samuel  Breck,  Jr. 


APPENDIX. 


345 


R.  Morris,  Jr.,  2 sets. 

John  Q,.  Adams, 

Doct.  Adair, 

M.  de  la  Motte, 

Joshua  Gilpin, 

T.  H.  Broadhead,  London. 

Drummond,  E. 

J.  Bentley,  London,  2 sets. 

The  following  letter  was  written  by  Gen.  Washington  to  the 
Marquis  de  La  Fayette,  in  1791,  at  the  request  of  Col.  Trumbull, 
recommending  to  the  protection  of  the  Marquis  in  France,  the 
subscription  for  Mr.  T.’s  series  of  engravings,  intended  to  com- 
memorate the  great  events  of  the  American  revolution.  It  was 
sent  by  Mr.  T.  to  his  correspondent  in  London,  (M.  A.  C.  de 
Poggi,)  for  the  purpose  of  being  used  in  France.  But,  unhap- 
pily, before  the  letter  could  be  so  used  by  M.  Poggi,  the  French 
revolution  had  begun  to  assume  that  character  of  bloody  and  in- 
human ferocity,  which  rendered  it  a curse  and  not  a blessing 
to  the  human  race,  and  utterly  destructive  of  all  the  arts  of  peace. 
And  when  Mr.  Trumbull  accompanied  Mr.  Jay  to  London  in  the 
character  of  his  secretary,  in  1794,  it  was  returned  to  his  hands  ; 
from  that  time  to  1815,  Europe  was  a field  of  blood,  and  America 
a scene  of  discord,  fatal  to  the  enterprise  of  Mr.  Trumbull. 

i 

Letter  from  Gen.  Washington,  to  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette. 

Philadelphia,  Nov.  21st,  1791. 

My  Dear  Sir — Mr.  John  Trumbull,  with  whom  you  are  ac- 
quainted, is  engaged  in  painting  a series  of  pictures  of  the  most 
important  events  of  the  Revolution  in  this  country,  from  which 
he  proposes  to  have  plates  engraved. 

I have  taken  peculiar  satisfaction  in  giving  every  proper  aid  in 
my  power,  to  a subscription  here  supporting  this  work,  which 
likewise  has  been  patronized  by  the  principal  people  in  this 
country. 

In  the  hope  of  meeting  the  patronage  of  the  French  nation,  to 
whose  honor  as  well  as  that  of  America,  this  plan  is  directed,  Mr. 

44 


Mr.  Spitzgerber, 
Mrs.  Thompson. 

Proofs. 
Sack  Lewis, 

Duke  of  Buccleugh, 
Robert  Morris,  Jr. 
Mr.  Spitzborger. 

In  all,  344  copies. 


346  APPENDIX. 

Trumbull  informs  me  that  he  has  ordered  a subscription  to  be 
opened  in  Paris ; and  the  object  of  this  letter  is,  to  engage  you  to 
support  the  subscription  in  that  city,  and  in  other  parts  of  the 
nation,  where  it  may  be  offered. 

I should  not,  however,  do  justice  to  Mr.  Trumbull’s  talents 
and  merits,  were  I not  to  mention  his  views  and  wishes  on  this 
occasion.  His  pieces,  so  far  as  they  are  executed,  meet  the  ap- 
plause of  all  who  have  seen  them  ; the  greatness  of  the  design, 
and  the  masterly  execution  of  the  work,  equally  interest  the  man 
of  capacious  mind,  as  the  approving  eye  of  the  connoisseur.  He 
has  spared  no  pains  in  obtaining  from  the  life,  the  likenesses  of 
those  characters,  French  as  well  as  American,  who  bore  a con- 
spicuous part  in  our  Revolution  ; and  the  success  with  which 
his  efforts  have  been  crowned,  will  form  no  small  part  of  the 
value  of  his  pieces. 

To  you,  my  dear  sir,  who  know  Mr.  Trumbull  as  a man  and 
as  an  artist,  it  would  perhaps  have  been  hardly  necessary  to  say 
so  much  as  I have  done  on  this  occasion ; but  I could  not  in 
justice  say  less  of  him,  when  I believe  that  in  his  profession  he 
will  do  much  honor  to  the  liberal  art  of  painting,  as  well  as  to 
this  his  native  country. 

I cannot  conclude  this  letter  without  congratulating  you  most 
sincerely,  on  the  king’s  acceptance  of  the  constitution  presented 
to  him  by  the  National  Assembly,  and  upon  the  happy  conse- 
quences which  promise  to  flow  to  your  country,  as  well  as  to 
mankind  in  general  from  that  event.  The  prayers  and  the 
wishes  of  the  friends  of  the  human  race,  have  attended  the  exer- 
tions of  your  nation  ; and  when  your  affairs  shall  be  completely 
settled  under  an  energetic  and  equal  government,  the  hearts  of 
good  men  will  be  gratified ; and  no  one  will  rejoice  in  your  feli- 
city, and  for  the  noble  and  disinterested  part  you  have  acted, 
more  than  your  sincere  friend  and  truly  affectionate  servant, 

Geo.  Washington. 


APPENDIX. 


347 


[Page  169.] 

Extract  from  the  History  of  the  French  Revolution , by  M.  A. 

Thiers  ; translated  by  Frederick  Shoberl ; published  by  Carey 
Hart)  Philadelphia , 1840  ; vol.  ii,  p.  148,  fyc. 

“Thus  the  sections,  taking  the  initiative,  abjured  the  Catholic 
faith  as  the  established  religion,  and  seized  its  edifices  and  its 
treasures,  as  pertaining  to  the  communal  domains.  The  depu- 
ties on  mission  in  the  departments  had  already  incited  a great 
number  of  communes  to  seize  the  movable  property  of  the 
churches,  which,  they  said,  was  not  necessary  for  religion,  and 
which  moreover,  like  all  public  property,  belonged  to  the  state, 
and  might  therefore  be  applied  to  its  wants.  Fouche  had  sent 
several  chests  of  plate  from  the  department  of  the  Allier; — a 
great  quantity  had  arrived  from  other  departments.  This  ex- 
ample, followed  in  Paris  and  the  environs,  soon  brought  piles  of 
wealth  to  the  bar  of  the  Convention;  all  the  churches  were 
stript,  and  the  communes  sent  deputations  with  the  gold  and 
silver  accumulated  in  the  shrines  of  saints,  or  in  places  conse- 
crated by  ancient  devotion.  They  went  in  procession  to  the 
Convention,  and  the  rabble,  indulging  their  fondness  for  the 
burlesque,  caricatured  in  the  most  ludicrous  manner,  the  cere- 
monies of  religion,  and  took  as  much  delight  in  profaning,  as 
they  had  formerly  done  in  celebrating  them.  Men,  wearing 
surplices  and  copes,  came  singing  hallelujahs  and  dancing  the 
Carmagnole  to  the  bar  of  the  Convention ; there  they  deposited 
the  host,  the  boxes  in  which  it  was  kept,  and  the  statues  of  gold 
and  silver : they  made  burlesque  speeches,  and  sometimes  ad- 
dressed the  most  singular  apostrophes  to  the  saints  themselves. 
“ Oh  you,”  exclaimed  a deputation  from  St.  Dennis,  “ Oh  you 
“ instruments  of  fanaticism,  blessed  saints  of  all  kinds,  be  at  length 
“ patriots,  rise  en  masse , serve  the  country,  by  going  to  the  mint 
“ to  be  melted,  and  give  us  in  this  world  that  felicity  which  you 
“ wanted  to  obtain  for  us  in  another.”  These  scenes  of  merriment 
were  followed  all  at  once  by  scenes  of  reverence  and  devotion. 
The  same  persons  who  trampled  under  foot  the  saints  of  Chris- 
tianity bore  an  awning — the  curtains  were  thrown  back,  and 


348 


APPENDIX. 


pointing  to  the  busts  of  Marat  and  Lepelletier,  “ These,”  said 
they,  “ are  not  gods  made  by  men,  but  the  images  of  worthy  cit- 
“ izens  assassinated  by  the  slaves  of  kings.”  They  then  filed  off 
before  the  Convention,  again  singing  hallelujahs,  and  dancing  the 
Carmagnole  ; carried  the  rich  spoils  of  the  altars  to  the  mint,  and 
placed  the  revered  busts  of  Marat  and  Lepelletier  in  the  church- 
es, which  thenceforth  became  the  temples  of  a new  worship. 

“ At  the  requisition  of  Chaumette,  it  was  resolved  that  the  me- 
tropolitan church  of  Notre-Dame  should  be  converted  into  a re- 
publican edifice,  called  the  Temple  of  Reason.  A festival  was 
instituted  for  all  the  decades,  to  supersede  the  Catholic  ceremo- 
nies of  Sunday.  The  mayor,  the  municipal  officers,  the  public 
functionaries,  repaired  to  the  Temple  of  Reason,  where  they  read 
the  declaration  of  the  rights  of  man  and  the  constitutional  act, 
analyzed  the  news  from  the  armies,  and  related  the  brilliant  ac- 
tions which  had  been  performed  during  the  decade.  A mouth  of 
Truth , resembling  the  mouths  of  denunciation  which  formerly 
existed  at  Venice,  was  placed  in  the  Temple  of  Reason,  to  receive 
opinions , censures , advice , that  might  be  useful  to  the  public. 
These  letters  were  examined  and  read  every  decade  ; a moral  dis- 
course was  delivered,  after  which  pieces  of  music  were  performed, 
and  the  ceremonies  concluded  with  the  singing  of  republican 
hymns.  There  were  in  the  temple  two  tribunes,  one  for  aged 
men,  the  other  for  pregnant  women,  with  these  inscriptions  : Re- 
spect for  old  age — Respect  and  attention  for  pregnant  women. 

“ The  first  festival  of  Reason  was  held  with  pomp  on  the  20th 
Brumaire,  (the  10th  of  November.)  It  was  attended  by  all  the 
sections,  together  with  the  constituted  authorities.  A young  wo- 
man represented  the  goddess  of  Reason.  She  was  the  wife  of 
Momoro  the  printer,  one  of  the  friends  of  Vincent,  Ronsin,  Chau- 
mette, Hebert  and  the  like.  She  was  dressed  in  a white  drapery  ; 
a mantle  of  azure  blue  hung  from  her  shoulders ; her  flowing 
hair  was  covered  with  the  cap  of  liberty.  She  sat  upon  an  an- 
tique seat,  intwined  with  ivy,  and  borne  by  four  citizens.  Young 
girls  dressed  in  white,  and  crowned  with  roses,  preceded  and  fol- 
lowed the  goddess.  Then  came  the  busts  of  Lepehetier  and  Ma- 
rat, musicians,  troops,  and  all  the  armed  sections.  Speeches  were 


APPENDIX. 


349 


delivered,  and  hymns  sung  in  the  Temple  of  Reason,  [and  beauty 
without  modesty  was  seen  usurping  the  place  of  the  holy  of  ho- 
lies.]* They  then  proceeded  to  the  Convention,  and  Chaumette 
spoke  in  these  terms 

“ ‘ Legislators ! fanaticism  has  given  way  to  reason ; — its  blear- 
ed eyes  could  not  endure  the  brilliancy  of  the  light.  This  day 
an  immense  concourse  has  assembled  beneath  those  Gothic  vaults, 
which,  for  the  first  time,  re-echoed  the  truth.  There  the  French 
have  celebrated  the  only  true  worship,  that  of  liberty,  that  of 
reason.  There  we  have  formed  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  the 
arms  of  the  republic.  There  we  have  abandoned  inanimate  idols 
for  reason,  for  that  animated  image,  the  masterpiece  of  nature.’ 
As  he  uttered  these  words,  Chaumette  pointed  to  the  living  god- 
dess of  Reason.  The  young  and  beautiful  woman  descended 
from  her  seat,  and  went  up  to  the  President,  who  gave  her  the 
fraternal  kiss,  amidst  universal  bravos  and  shouts  of  The  Repub- 
lic forever  ! — Reason  forever  ! — Down  with  Fanaticism  ! ! — 
The  Convention,  which  had  not  yet  taken  any  part  in  these  rep- 
resentations, was  hurried  away,  and  obliged  to  follow  the  proces- 
sion, which  returned  to  the  Temple  of  Reason,  and  there  sung  a 
patriotic  hymn.  An  important  piece  of  intelligence,  that  of  the 
recapture  of  Noirmoutier  from  Charette,f  increased  the  general 
joy,  and  furnished  a more  real  motive  for  it  than  the  abolition  of 
fanaticism. 


* Note  by  Beauregard. 

t When  the  republicans  retook  Noirmoutier,  they  found  M.  D’Elbee  at  death’s 
door  from  his  wounds.  His  wife  might  have  got  away,  but  she  would  not  leave 
him.  When  the  republicans  entered  his  chamber,  they  said,  “ So,  this  is  D’EI- 
“bee  !”  “ Yes,”  replied  he,  “you  see  your  greatest  en.emy,  and  had  I strength  to 

“ fight  you  should  not  have  taken  Noirmoutier  ; or  at  least  you  should  have  pur- 
chased it  dearly.”  They  kept  him  five  days,  and  loaded  him  with  insults; — at 
length,  exhausted  by  sufferings,  he  said,  “ Gentlemen,  it  is  time  to  conclude  your 
“ examination — let  me  die.”  As  he  was  unable  to  stand,  they  placed  him  in  an  arm 
chair,  where  he  was  shot.  His  wife,  on  seeing  him  carried  to  execution,  fainted 
away; — a republican  officer,  showing  some  pity,  supported  her, — but  he  also  was 
threatened  to  be  shot  if  he  did  not  leave  her.  She  was  put  to  death  the  next  day. 
The  republicans  then  filled  a street  with  fugitives  and  suspected  inhabitants,  and 
massacred  the  whole. — Memoirs  of  the  Marchioness  de  la  Rochejacquelin. 


350 


APPENDIX. 


“ It  is  impossible  to  view  with  any  other  feeling  than  disgust, 
these  scenes  without  devotion,  without  sincerity,  exhibited  by  a 
nation  which  changed  its  worship,  without  comprehending  the 
old  system,  or  that  which  they  substituted  for  it.  When  is  the 
populace  sincere  ? When  is  it  capable  of  comprehending  the 
dogmas  which  are  given  to  it  to  believe  ? What  does  it  in  gen- 
eral want  ? — Large  assemblages,  which  gratify  its  fondness  for 
public  meetings ; symbolic  spectacles,  which  incessantly  remind 
it  of  a power  superior  to  its  own ; lastly,  festivals,  in  which  hom- 
age’ is  paid  to  those  who  have  made  the  nearest  approach  to  the 
good,  the  fair,  the  great, — in  short,  temples,  ceremonies  and  saints. 
Here  were  temples,  Reason,  Marat  and  Lepelletier!  It  was  as- 
sembled, it  adored  a mysterious  power,  it  celebrated  those  two 
men.  All  its  wants  were  satisfied,  and  it  gave  way  to  them  on 
this  occasion  no  otherwise  than  it  always  gives  way. 

“ If  then  we  survey  the  state  of  France  at  this  period,  we  shall 
see  that  never  were  more  restraints  imposed  at  once,  on  that  inert 
and  patient  part  of  the  population  on  which  political  experiments 
are  made.  People  dared  no  longer  express  any  opinion  ; they 
were  afraid  to  visit  their  friends,  lest  they  might  be  compromised 
with  them,  and  lose  liberty  and  even  life.  One  hundred  thou- 
sand arrests,  and  some  hundreds  of  condemnations,  rendered  im- 
prisonment and  the  scaffold  ever  present  to  the  minds  of  twenty 
five  millions  of  French.  They  had  to  bear  heavy  taxes — if  by 
a perfectly  arbitrary  classification,  they  were  placed  on  the  list  of 
the  rich,  they  lost  for  that  year  a portion  of  their  income.  Some- 
times, at  the  requisition  of  a representative,  or  of  some  agent  or 
other,  they  were  obliged  to  give  up  their  crops,  or  their  most 
valuable  effects  in  gold  and  silver.  They  durst  no  longer  dis- 
play any  luxury,  or  indulge  in  any  noisy  pleasures.  They  were 
no  longer  permitted  to  use  metallic  money,  but  obliged  to  give 
and  take  a depreciated  paper,  with  which  it  was  difficult  to  pro- 
cure such  things  as  they  needed.  They  were  forced  (if  shop- 
keepers) to  sell  at  a fictitious  price ; if  buyers,  to  put  up  with  the 
worst  commodities,  because  the  best  shunned  the  maximum  and 
the  assignats ; sometimes  indeed  they  had  to  do  without  either, 
because  bad  and  good  were  alike  concealed.  They  had  but  one 


APPENDIX. 


351 


sort  of  black  bread,  common  to  the  rich  as  to  the  poor,  for  which 
they  were  obliged  to  contend  at  the  doors  of  the  bakers,  after 
waiting  several  hours.  Lastly,  the  names  of  weights  and  meas- 
ures, the  names  of  the  months  and  days  were  changed ; there 
were  but  three  Sundays  instead  of  four,  and  the  women  and  the 
aged  men  were  deprived  of  those  religious  ceremonies  which 
they  had  been  accustomed  to  attend  all  their  lives.  [The  ser- 
vices of  religion  were  now  universally  abandoned,  the  pulpits 
were  deserted  throughout  the  revolutionary  districts ; baptisms 
ceased;  the  burial  service  was  no  longer  heard;  the  sick  re- 
ceived no  communion ; the  dying  no  consolation  ; the  village 
bells  were  silent ; Sunday  was  obliterated;  infancy  entered  the 
world  without  a blessing ; age  quitted  it  without  a hope.]* 

“ Never  had  power  overthrown  with  greater  violence  the  habits 
of  a people.  To  threaten  all  lives,  to  decimate  all  fortunes,  to 
fix  compulsorily,  the  standard  of  the  exchanges,  to  give  new 
names  to  all  things,  to  abolish  the  ceremonies  of  religion,  is  in- 
disputably the  most  atrocious  of  tyrannies,  if  we  do  not  take  into 
the  account  the  danger  of  the  state,  the  inevitable  crisis  of  com- 
merce, and  the  spirit  of  system  inseparable  from  the  spirit  of  in- 
novation. 

[“  Every  tenth  day  a revolutionary  leader  ascended  the  pulpit, 
and  preached  atheism  to  the  bewildered  audience.  Marat  was 
universally  deified,  and  even  the  instrument  of  death  was  sanc- 
tified by  the  name  of  the  holy  guillotine . On  all  public  ceme- 
teries this  inscription  was  placed,  “ Death  is  an  eternal  sleep,” 
(the  French  words  were  “ La  mort  n’est  q’un  sommeil  eternel ,” 
literally,  Death  is  only  an  eternal  sleep.)  The  comedian  Monert, 
in  the  church  of  St.  Roche,  carried  impiety  to  its  height.  “ God, 
“if  you  exist,”  said  he,  “avenge  your  sacred  name  ; I bid  you 
“defiance.  You  remain  silent.  You  dare  not  launch  your 
“thunders.  Who,  after  this,  will  believe  in  your  existence?”]* 

Such  is  the  picture  of  revolutionary  France,  drawn  by  the 
hand  of  M.  Thiers,  a patriotic  Frenchman,  and  the  great  minis- 
ter of  a great  king.  Can  we  suppose  that  such  a man  has  dis- 
torted the  features,  or  deepened  the  colors  of  the  hideous  portrait  ? 


Notes  from  Alison. 


352 


APPENDIX. 


I can  testify,  from  personal  observation,  to  the  accuracy  of 
many  points,  quos  vidi , ac  quorum  pars  parvula  fui. 

[Page  170.] 

Among  many  elegant  families  which  at  that  time  graced  the 
society  of  Philadelphia,  was  one  particularly  distinguished  by 
the  intellectual  eminence  and  personal  charms  of  several  lovely 
daughters ; to  one  of  these,  Mr.  Giles  was  disposed  to  recommend 
himself.  At  the  same  time  I was  free  of  the  tea  table,  and  call- 
ing one  afternoon  to  beg  a cup  of  tea,  I found  Mr.  Giles  in  earn- 
est conversation  with  his  favorite,  and  ridiculing  the  elder  Mr. 
Adams,  and  his  work,  called  the  Defense  of  the  American  Con- 
stitutions. A moment’s  attention  convinced  me  that  he  was  talk- 
ing at  random,  of  a subject  which  he  did  not  understand.  I 
therefore  watched  an  opportunity  to  interrupt  the  conversation, 
by  asking,  “ Mr.  Giles,  is  it  possible  that  you  can  have  taken  the 
“ trouble  to  read  the  long  work  of  which  are  speaking?”  “Cer- 
“ tainly.”  “ The  first  volume  perhaps  ?”  “ To  be  sure.”  “ And 
“ the  second ?”  “Yes.”  “You  must  have  observed  then,  that 
“ these  two  volumes  are  little  else  than  a concise  epitome  of  the 
“constitutions  of  preceding  republics.  He  reserves  his  own 
“ opinions  in  a great  measure  for  the  third  volume  ; I presume 
“you  have  read  that  also?”  Here  Mr.  Giles  lost  his  patience, 
and  exclaimed,  “ Who  could  wade  through  such  a mass  of  stuff?” 
I said  no  more  ; but  the  lady,  with  one  of  her  sweetest  smiles, 
said,  “ I have  observed,  Mr.  Giles,  that  you  have  a habit  of  giving 
“ your  opinions  of  men  and  things,  in  pretty  strong  terms ; I 
“ hope  you  are  careful  always  to  be  as  accurately  informed  upon 
“ other  subjects,  as  you  appear  to  be  upon  this  of  Mr.  Adams’s 
“ book.” 


[No.  7,  Chap.  XVI,  p.  234.] 

To  Thomas  Jefferson,  Esq.,  President  of  the  United  States,  &c. 

Hammersmith,  near  London. 

Sir— -Communications  are  preparing  by  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners acting  under  the  7th  article  of  the  treaty  between  the 


APPENDIX. 


353 


United  States  of  America  and  his  Britannic  majesty,  to  Mr.  King, 
the  American  minister  here,  and  by  the  American  commissioners 
to  Mr.  Madison,  secretary  of  state,  explaining  the  doings  of  the 
board  in  respect  to  the  appointment  of  Mr.  G.  W.  Erving  to  the 
double  office  of  agent  for  American  claims,  and  assessor  to  the 
board. 

Since  I have  had  the  honor  to  hold  the  office  of  fifth  commis- 
sioner, I have  cautiously  abstained  from  holding  any  correspon- 
dence with  the  government  of  either  nation  on  subjects  relating 
to  the  business  of  the  commission,  lest  in  so  doing  I should  seem 
to  depart  from  that  strict  impartiality  which  the  nature  of  my 
situation  renders  my  first  duty.  The  present  occasion,  however, 
seems  to  justify  a departure  from  that  rule,  and  you  will  permit 
me  to  offer  some  explanations  which  appear  to  be  proper  for  me  to 
give,  and  which  could  not  possibly  have  been  known  to,  or  prob- 
ably contemplated  by  the  secretary  of  state  at  the  time  when  the 
appointment  in  question  took  place. 

When  the  board  of  commissioners  entered  upon  its  duties,  it 
soon  became  conscious  of  a material  want  of  commercial  knowl- 
edge ; the  members  named  by  both  nations  were  all  educated  to 
the  law,  and  of  course  did  not  possess  that  mercantile  information, 
a necessity  for  which  became  more  evident  at  every  step  of  its 
progress ; and  my  former  habits  of  life  as  little  qualified  me  for 
investigations  which  required  not  merely  a general  knowledge  of 
mercantile  transactions,  but  an  accurate  and  practical  acquaintance 
with  the  particular  customs  and  detail  of  the  trade  of  the  United 
States,  and  of  that  carried  on  to  the  West  India  islands,  in  an  es- 
pecial manner. 

The  board  therefore  determined,  after  mature  deliberation,  to 
adopt  the  practice  of  the  Admiralty  courts,  and  to  name  two  mer- 
chants (one  from  each  nation)  as  assessors,  whose  duty  it  should 
be,  when  the  board  had  determined  that  compensation  was  due 
in  any  case,  to  examine  the  accounts  referred  to  them  in  such  case 
by  the  board,  and  to  make  up  what  should  appear  to  be  a just  ac- 
count, and  to  report  the  same  to  the  board.  Claimants  and  their 
agents  were  directed  to  attend  the  merchants  with  their  accounts 
and  vouchers,  and  to  give  such  explanations  as  might  be  by  them . 

45 


/ 


354 


APPENDIX. 


required ; and  in  order  to  gain  all  possible  certainty  of  equity  and 
correctness,  it  was  further  determined,  that  every  report  of  the 
merchants,  before  it  was  actecV  upon  by  the  board,  should  be  re- 
ferred to  the  agent  of  the  opposite  party,  in  order  that  he  might 
examine  and  state  in  writing  his  objections,  if  any,  to  the  same. 

When  Mr.  Erving’s  credentials  were  presented  to  the  board, 
one  of  the  British  members  observed  the  incompatibility  of  the 
two  offices  of  agent  and  assessor,  and  the  impossibility  of  uniting 
them  in  one  person  without  not  only  departing  from  the  orders 
of  the  board,  but  also  violating  the  rules  of  just  and  equitable  pro- 
ceeding, inasmuch  as  its  effect  would  be  to  render  the  claimant  or 
his  agent  judge  of  his  own  cause  ; and  he  added,  that  should  the 
board  conceive  it  proper  to  receive  Mr.  Erving  in  both  characters, 
(which,  however  he  did  not  expect,)  it  certainly  would  become 
the  indispensable  duty  of  the  agent  for  the  British  government  to 
object  in  the  strongest  manner  to  the  first  report  which  should  be 
referred  to  him,  and  in  which  it  should  appear  that  Mr.  Erving 
had  assisted.  This  argument,  I believe,  had  its  just  weight  with 
every  member  of  the  commission.  To  me,  I confess,  it  did  appear 
to  be  unanswerable.  I felt  that  should  the  occasion  arise,  it  would 
be  my  duty  to  acknowledge  its  force  in  its  full  extent,  and  to  act 
accordingly.  I therefore  cordially  and  pointedly  joined  in  recom- 
mending to  Mr.  Erving  the  step  which  he  has  taken,  and  which 
I think  does  equal  honor  to  his  judgment  and  his  moderation. 

Permit  me,  sir,  personally  to  repeat  the  assurance  which,  as  a 
member  of  the  board,  I have  already  officially  given,  (and  in  which 
I am  sure  that  every  member,  as  well  British  as  American,  cor- 
dially joined,)  that  on  this  occasion  I have  felt  a sincere  regret  in 
doing  what  may  be  supposed  to  bear  the  most  distant  appearance 
of  disrespect  to  the  government  of  America.  A sense  of  duty,  and 
an  earnest  wish  to  guard  against  whatever  might  become  a ground 
of  future  misunderstanding  and  embarrassment  in  this  very  deli- 
cate business,  alone  influenced  my  conduct. 

May  1 beg  your  indulgence  while  I add  a few  words  on  the 
subject  of  Mr.  Cabot.  I do  not  remember  ever  to  have  seen  him 
until  we  met  in  London  in  this  business,  nor  have  I since  had 
• other  connexion  with  him,  than  of  an  official  nature.  But  in  the 


APPENDIX. 


355 


course  of  his  official  attendance  on  the  board,  he  has  displayed 
such  accurate  knowledge  of  the  business  intrusted  to  him,  united 
• with  indefatigable  industry — such  suavity  of  manners,  united 
with  decent  firmness — and  has,  in  the  course  of  several  years’  ex- 
perience acquired  such  facility,  method,  and  dispatch,  that  I do 
not  think  it  possible  to  replace  him  without  manifest  disadvantage ; 
for,  even  if  other  men  of  equal  knowledge  and  industry  may  be 
found,  yet  no  talent  can  supply  the  place  of  his  experience,  and 
the  delay  which  would  necessarily  arise  from  putting  the  business 
into  new  hands,  would  alone  be  an  evil  of  no  inconsiderable  mag- 
nitude. I am  at  liberty  to  say  further,  what  is  no  common  ad- 
vantage, that  he  possesses  the  confidence  of  both  parties;  and  as 
the  emolument  which  the  board  have  offered  him  may  not  be 
sufficient  alone  to  induce  him  to  leave  his  numerous  family  and 
his  business  in  America,  I must  beg  leave  to  express  my  earnest 
hope  that  the  government  of  the  United  States  will  think  fit  to 
make  such  addition  as  shall  prevail  upon  him  to  resume  his  ser- 
vices. 

In  speaking  thus  favorably  of  Mr.  Cabot,  I beg  to  assure  you 
that  I am  not  influenced  by  friendship,  or  undue  partiality,  but 
by  a full  persuasion,  grounded  on  knowledge,  that  his  assistance 
will  essentially  promote  the  equitable,  satisfactory,  and  speedy 
termination  of  this  very  delicate  business. 

Permit  me,  sir,  to  express  a hope  that  I still  retain  in  your  good 
opinion  that  place  which  I flatter  myself  I formerly  had  the  honor 
to  hold,  and  which  I should  sincerely  regret  to  lose  by  any  cir- 
cumstance or  action,  and  to  assure  you  of  the  grateful  respect  and 
esteem  with  which  I have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  your  much  obliged 
and  faithful  servant,  John  Trumbull. 


[No.  8,  Chap.  XVII,  p.  246.] 

In  January,  of  the  year  1781,  Gen.  Arnold,  at  the  head  of  sev- 
enteen hundred  British  troops,  invaded  the  state  of  Virginia,  and 
in  March,  of  the  same  year,  he  was  joined  by  Gen.  Phillips  with 
two  thousand,  making  the  whole  force  three  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred men. 


356 


APPENDIX. 


Mr.  Jefferson  was  governor  of  the  state  at  the  time.  Against 
this  inconsiderable  force  a very  feeble  resistance  was  made  by 
that  powerful  state,  whose  quota  for  the  general  service  was  rated  • 
by  Congress  at  fifteen  regiments.  The  governor  retired  to  Car- 
ter’s mountain,  the  defense  of  the  country  was  left  in  a great 
measure  to  the  unguided  efforts  of  the  people,  and  the  whole 
state  was  overrun,  and  remained  in  a sense  a conquered  country, 
until  the  capture  of  Lord  Cornwallis  by  Gen.  Washington,  in  the 
month  of  October  following. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  1777,  a corps  of  two  thousand,  com- 
manded by  Gov.  Tryon,  Gen.  Agnew,  and  Sir  William  Erskine, 
landed  at  Norwalk  in  the  small  state  of  Connecticut,  and  marched 
as  far  as  Danbury,  where  they  destroyed  a quantity  of  stores  and 
burned  the  town.  But,  far  from  keeping  possession,  they  were 
attacked  by  the  militia,  and  compelled  to  retreat  with  consider- 
able loss ; they  reached  the  sea  shore  at  Compo  in  Fairfield, 
where  they  sought  security  on  board  their  ships,  on  the  28th. 
The  quota  of  Connecticut  was  five  regiments. 

The  same  Gen.  Arnold  having  been  superseded  in  Virginia,  by 
the  arrival  of  Gen.  Phillips,  was  seen  again,  with  malignant  ac- 
tivity, at  New  London,  his  native  place,  on  the  6th  of  September 
following,  in  command  of  a detachment,  with  which  he  burnt 
the  town,  and  took  the  fort  of  Groton  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  but  after  so  severe  and  fatal  resistance,  that  he  re-embarked 
immediately,  and  did  not  pollute  the  soil  by  his  presence,  more 
than  twenty  four  hours. 


[No.  9,  Chap.  XIX,  p.  263.] 

Mr.  Dwight,  Washington. 

New  York,  February  18th,  1818. 

Dear  Sir — I have  written  on  the  subject  of  your  failure,  to 
Gov.  Barbour,  Mr.  King,  and  Mr.  Fromentin,  of  that  house,  and 
to  Gen.  Harrison,  Gov.  Middleton,  Mr.  Hopkinson,  and  Mr.  Pit- 
kin, of  the  house  of  representatives.  I have  asked  their  active 
patronage  in  both  houses — for  I can  conceive  no  reason  for  vour 


APPENDIX. 


357 


complete  failure,  except  my  own  error  in  not  giving  you  such  let- 
ters at  first.  Wait  on  these  gentlemen  as  soon  as  you  receive 
this,  and  endeavor  to  engage  their  protection.  Remember  this  is 
a logocracy ; you  must  talk ; the  houses  are  now  so  numerous, 
and  the  tables  of  the  members  of  both  so  constantly  loaded  with 
petitions,  proposals,  and  applications  of  all  sorts,  that  whatever  is 
not  supported  by  active  and  influential  friends,  has  no  chance  of 
success. 

For  my  own  part,  I by  no  means  despair ; yet,  if  after  this 
effort  you  meet  no  encouragement,  I must  be  satisfied  pub- 
lic opinion  there  is  really  against  the  object,  as  not  deserving  the 
protection  of  the  great ; and  I must  abandon  it  there , however 
reluctantly. 

Write  me  as  soon  as  you  shall  have  seen  these  gentlemen.  I 
wish  you  may  have  better  success,  and  am,  dear  sir,  truly  your 
friend,  J.  T. 


David  Daggett,  Esq.,  Senate  of  the  United  States. 

New  York,  Feb.  19th,  1818. 

Dear  Sir — The  utter  failure  of  Mr.  Dwight  in  the  senate,  not- 
withstanding your  kindness  in  introducing  him  to  Mr.  Gaillard, 
has  given  me  more  vexation  than  any  accident  which  has  be- 
fallen me  for  a long  time  ; and  in  truth  it  is  inexplicable,  unless 
it  has  arisen  from  my  own  want  of  precaution,  in  not  having 
furnished  Mr.  Dwight  at  first,  soliciting  their  protection,  to  some 
gentlemen  who,  you  know,  like  to  lead. 

Conceiving  that  this  may  have  been  the  cause,  (and  I can  im- 
agine no  other,)  I have  been  endeavoring  to  rectify  the  mistake 
by  writing  to  Mr.  King,  Mr.  Barbour,  and  Mr.  Fromentin,  in  the 
senate  ; and  to  Gen.  Harrison,  Mr.  Middleton,  Mr.  Hopkinson, 
and  Mr.  Pitkin,  in  the  house. 

I did  not  expect  every  one  to  be  a subscriber,  but  did  expect 
some  one  would  have  followed  the  example  of  four  presidents — 
for  to  many  of  the  western  and  southern  members  the  price,  or 
the  advance  required,  can  be  no  object.  In  truth,  the  work  is 
offered  at  a lower  price  than  any  other  publication  in  this  country. 


/ 


358 


APPENDIX. 


The  print  will  contain  forty  seven  portraits  of  our  most  emi- 
nent men,  some  of  them  whole  lengths,  and  will  be  executed  in 
the  finest  style  by  the  first  engraver  of  the  age,  so  as  to  form  within 
the  frame  an  elegant  monumental  piece  of  furniture,  at  the  aver- 
age price  of  forty  two  and  a half  cents  for  each  head.  The 
average  of  Delaplaine’s  work,  in  which  the  engraving  is  by  no 
means  of  a high  character,  and  mere  heads,  is  sixty  six  cents  each. 

The  heads  of  our  junior  naval  and  military  heroes,  are  pub- 
lished at  from  one  dollar  to  two  and  a half  each ; and  Birins  is 
getting  numerous  subscribers  for  a mere  verbal  copy  of  the  Decla- 
ration, at  ten  dollars,  embellished  as  he  calls  it  with  flags,  and 
state  coats  of  arms,  and  four  or  five  heads,  like  the  Christmas  spe- 
cimens of  children  at  a writing  school. 

I confess  I do  not  yet  understand  my  countrymen.  I beg  you, 
my  dear  sir,  to  accept  my  hearty  thanks  for  the  interest  you  have 
taken,  and  the  kindness  you  have  shown  Mr.  Dwight ; and  if  it 
should  be  thought  advisable  for  him  to  make  a second  effort  in 
your  house,  I will  beg  you  again  to  befriend  and  assist  him. 
With  sincere  esteem,  I have  the  honor  to  be,  dear  sir,  your  obliged 
and  faithful  servant,  J.  T. 

Mr.  Fromentin,  Senate  of  the  United  States. 

New  York,  Feb.  18th,  1818. 

Sir — My  friend,  Mr.  Hoffman,  tells  that  when  you  was  in 
town,  you  expressed  to  him  a wish,  to  purchase  my  prints  of 
American  subjects;  permit  me  to  say,  my  young  friend,  Mr. 
Dwight,  at  Washington,  has  a few  pieces  for  sale,  of  the  best 
impressions. 

I have  been  mortified  to  learn  from  Mr.  Dwight,  that  the  sub- 
scription which  he  was  authorized  to  propose  for  a print  from  my 
picture  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  has  met  with  no  suc- 
cess whatever  in  the  senate. 

I thought  it  my  duty  to  offer  it  first  to  the  members  of  the 
legislature,  because  those  whose  names  stand  first  on  the  list  will 
receive  the  finest  prints  ; and  after  the  peculiar  patronage  which 
I received  last  year,  I can  conceive  no  reason  for  failure  now,  but 
from  the  error  of  not  having  previously  secured  the  active  patron- 


APPENDIX. 


359 


age  of  some  influential  members,  at  the  time  the  book  was  in  the 
house. 

I have  written  to  Mr.  King  and  Gov.  Barbour  on  this  subject, 
and  will  thank  you  for  your  protection  in  your  house,  should  it  be 
thought  proper  to  offer  it  there  again.  I am,  &c.  J.  T. 

Gov.  Middleton,  representative. 

New  York,  Feb.  18th,  1818. 

Dear  Sir — I have  been  extremely  mortified  to  learn  the  want 
of  success  in  the  senate,  which  has  attended  my  proposals  for  pub- 
lishing by  subscription  a print  from  my  picture  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  to  be  engraved  by  Mr.  Heath. 

I can  conceive  no  cause  for  such  a failure,  but  in  the  error  of 
not  having  previously  secured  the  active  protection  of  some  in- 
fluential members,  when  the  book  was  in  the  house.  It  will 
probably  be  soon  offered  in  yours,  and  when  there,  may  I beg 
your  friendly  attention  to  recommend  it  to  the  notice  of  your 
friends. 

When  the  death  of  Nelson  was  announced  in  London,  Mr. 
West,  and  Mr.  Heath,  the  engraver,  who  has  engaged  to  execute 
this  work  for  me,  agreed,  the  one  to  paint,  the  other  to  engrave,  a 
picture  commemorating  the  event.  They  placed  the  price  of 
their  proposed  print  at  the  same  sum  as  I propose  for  mine, 
although  the  size  was  smaller.  The  picture  was  painted  and 
exhibited  at  Mr.  West’s  house,  and  before  it  was  removed  to  Mr. 
Heath’s  house  to  be  engraved,  eighteen  hundred  persons  had  sub- 
scribed, and  paid  each  his  two  guineas  in  advance.  What  was 
the  death  of  Nelson,  or  the  victory  of  Trafalgar,  in  their  influence 
on  the  glory  of  England,  or  the  happiness  of  man,  compared  with 
the  event  which  I propose  to  commemorate  ? We  cannot  be  in- 
sensible to  our  own  honor.  I have  the  honor  to  be,  dear  sir, 
&c.  &c.  J.  T. 

Joseph  Hopkinson,  Esq.,  representative. 

New  York,  Feb.  18th,  1818. 

Dear  Sir — I have  been  extremely  mortified  to  learn  from  Mr. 
Dwight,  that  the  subscription  for  a print,  to  be  engraved  by  Mr. 


360 


APPENDIX. 


Heath  from  my  picture  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  which 
he  was  authorized  to  propose  at  Washington,  has  utterly  failed  in 
the  senate,  although  it  is  sanctioned  by  the  name  of  the  president 
and  of  the  three  ex-presidents. 

1 can  conceive  no  cause  for  this,  except  the  want  of  the  active 
patronage  of  some  friends  in  the  house,  during  the  time  the  book 
was  there.  As  it  will  be  offered  in  the  house  of  representatives, 
and  fail  there  if  a similar  cause  be  left  to  operate,  permit  me  to 
request  that  you  will  call  the  attention  of  your  friends  to  it, 
whenever  it  may  be  thought  proper  to  introduce  it. 

I have  written  similar  letters  to  Gov.  Barbour,  Mr.  King,  Mr. 
Fromentin,  Mr.  Middleton,  Gen.  Harrison,  and  Mr.  Pitkin,  and 
if,  after  this  effort,  Mr.  Dwight  should  have  no  success,  I must, 
however  reluctantly,  give  up  all  hope  at  Washington. 

When  the  death  of  Nelson  was  first  known  in  London,  Mr. 
West  and  Mr.  Heath  (who  has  engaged  to  execute  this  work  for 
me)  agreed,  the  one  to  paint,  the  other  to  engrave  a picture  com- 
memorating the  event.  The  picture  when  finished  was  exhibited 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  West;  the  price  of  the  print  was  fixed  at 
the  same  sum  as  mine,  although  the  size  was  smaller;  and  before 
the  picture  was  removed  to  Mr.  Heath’s  to  be  engraved,  eighteen 
hundred  had  subscribed  and  paid  each  his  two  guineas  in  ad- 
vance. And  what  was  Nelson  or  Trafalgar  to  England  or  the 
world,  compared  with  the  great  event  which  is  the  subject  of  my 
work? 

We  never  tire  in  boasting  of  our  independence,  and  of  the  trans- 
cendent characters  who  gave  us  the  mighty  blessing  : can  it  be 
that  we  consider  twenty  dollars  too  expensive  an  offering  to  make 
to  their  memory  ? 

My  picture  will  contain  forty-seven  portraits  of  those  most  dis- 
tinguished men,  some  of  them  whole  lengths : the  print  will  be 
engraved  by  the  first  artist  of  the  age,  and  in  his  finest  style  : the 
price  will  be  forty-two  and  a half  cents.  The  first  volume  of 
• Delaplaine’s  Repository  costs  eight  dollars,  and  contains  twelve 
heads  not  too  well  engraved : the  average  price  is  sixty-six  cents. 
Binns  is  publishing  a mere  verbal  copy  of  the  act  itself,  (which 
is  already  in  every  body’s  hands,)  embellished  with  flags  and 


APPENDIX. 


361 


state  armorial  bearings  and  some  heads,  for  which  he  gets  nume- 
rous subscribers  at  ten  dollars. 

How  is  it,  my  dear  sir,  that  an  Irish  emigrant  can  obtain  pat- 
ronage for  such  a work,  Gothic  at  best — when  an  old  officer  can- 
not obtain  it  for  a work,  which  I will  proudly  say  will  do  honor 
to  the  nation  in  the  eyes  of  the  civilized  world  ? 

I can  hardly  keep  my  temper,  but  I am  not  the  less  truly,  dear 
sir,  your  grateful  friend  and  servant,  J.  T. 

To  Mr.  Theodore  Dwight,  Junr.,  Washington. 

New  York,  Feb’y  17th,  1818. 

Dear  Sir — I have  received  your  letter  of  the  12th,  and  con- 
fess I am  surprised  at  the  total  want  of  success  which  has  attend- 
ed you  in  the  senate. 

Gentlemen  cannot  expect  that  I should  go  on  with  an  enterprise, 
which  will  cost  at  least  ten  thousand  dollars,  before  I can  bring 
my  article  to  market,  unless  I see  myself  supported  by  public  pat- 
ronage ; and  the  only  guaranty  of  the  sincerity  of  patronage,  is 
the  advance  of  part  payment ; — it  is  the  universal  practice  of  Eu- 
rope,- and  here  in  1790  I met  with  no  difficulty  or  objection  on 
that  score,  although  I was  then  comparatively  unknown. 

Your  mode  of  proceeding  was  right,  unless  perhaps,  consider- 
ing the  extreme  coldness  of  the  weather,  you  gave  too  little  time 
to  talk  and  consider  the  matter ; and  perhaps  if  you  could  inter- 
est Mr.  King  or  Gov.  Barbour  to  take  the  book  under  their  imme- 
diate protection,  and  pass  it  round  to  their  friends,  it  might  still 
have  the  desired  effect. 

In  the  house  I would  recommend  you  to  try  the  same  method, 
— to  the  southern  members  a few  dollars  is  no  object,  and  if  you 
can  prevail  on  Gen.  Harrison  or  Gov.  Middleton  to  be  your  pa- 
tron, you  may  meet  some  success.  I recommend  you  to  wait  on 
Mr.  Adams,  and  ask  his  advice  particularly. 

Have  the  goodness  also  to  wait  on  Mr.  Fromentin,  senator  from 
Louisiana,  with  my  respects ; say,  that  you  have  some  of  my 
prints  for  sale,  and  ask  his  advice  and  protection.  I recommend 
patience  for  a few  days,  until  you  shall  have  made  use  of  this  let- 
ter, when  you  will  do  well  to  return. 

46 


362 


APPENDIX. 


I would  not  wish  you  to  attempt  any  thing,  either  in  Baltimore 
or  Philadelphia,  under  present  circumstances ; for  with  such  suc- 
cess at  Washington,  it  will  not  be  worth  my  while  to  persevere 
in  the  work.  I am  truly  yours,  J.  T. 

The  Hon.  Rufus  King,  Esq.,  Washington. 

New  York,  Feb.  17th,  1818. 

My  Dear  Sir — Our  young  friend,  Mr.  Dwight,  who  has  gone 
to  Washington  to  open  for  me,  a subscription  for  a print  from  my 
picture  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  informs  me,  that, 
after  having,  with  the  permission  of  Mr.  Gaillard,  laid  a prospec- 
tus of  the  work  on  each  gentleman’s  table,  and  having  left  his 
subscription  book  on  the  secretary’s  table  for  two  days,  (headed 
by  the  names  of  four  chiefs  of  the  nation,)  he  has  had  the  morti- 
fication to  resume  it,  without  one  single  signature. 

I confess  I am  not  only  mortified  but  confounded.  In  the 
year  1790,  I pursued  the  same  course  here,  and  although  I was 
then  comparatively  unknown,  and  the  country  relatively  poor,  I 
was  honored  in  one  day  with  the  names  of  more  than  half  the 
senate  ; and  in  another,  of  more  than  half  the  house  of  represen- 
tatives. 

It  cannot  be  believed,  that  I have  not  the  wish  for  my  reputa- 
tion’s sake,  to  deliver  a work  equal  to  those  which  I have  already 
published  ; and  I hope  my  ability  to  do  it  is  not  doubted. 

It  cannot  be,  that  while  we  never  tire  in  boasting  of  our  inde- 
pendence, and  of  the  glorious  characters  who  bequeathed  to  us  the 
mighty  blessing,  yet  in  truth,  we  think  twenty  dollars  too  expensive 
an  offering  to  their  sacred  memory — this  cannot  be.  From  what 
source  then  can  this  utter  want  of  patronage  proceed  ? I cannot 
but  hope,  that  it  has  arisen  from  the  timidity  of  Mr.  Dwight,  in 
not  having  previously  interested  yourself  and  some  other  gentle- 
men, to  take  a friendly  charge  of  the  thing.  I am  aware  that 
the  senate  are  perpetually  teased  by  applicants  for  protection  in 
various  shapes ; and  I cannot  but  flatter  myself  that,  on  this  oc- 
casion, I have  only  participated  in  the  general  oblivion  which  is 
their  common  fate. 


APPENDIX. 


363 


Permit  me,  my  dear  sir,  to  state  to  you  the  inevitable  expense 
of  the  undertaking.  I have  engaged  the  elder  Mr.  Heath,  (the 
first  engraver  living,)  to  engrave  the  plate,  for  which  I have  en- 
gaged to  pay  him  seven  thousand  dollars,  i.  e.,  fifteen  hundred 
guineas,  (thank  God  the  bargain  is  still  optional  on  my  part,)  and 
experience  has  taught  me  that  paper,  printing,  advertising,  una- 
voidable waste  and  loss,  &c.,  will  amount  to  fifty  per  cent.  more. 
Ten  thousand  dollars,  therefore,  is  the  minimum  which  must  be 
expended,  before  I can  bring  an  impression  to  market. 

It  would  be  madness  to  hazard  such  an  enterprise,  unsupported 
by  public  opinion,  and  the  only  mode  in  which  this  can  be  ascer- 
tained, is  by  a subscription  paying  part  in  advance.  As  the  rule 
is,  that  the  earliest  subscribers  receive  the  finest  impressions,  I 
felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  offer  the  subscription  first,  to  those  indi- 
viduals who  had  in  their  public  character  honored  me  with  their 
patronage ; and  I did  it  in  the  full  persuasion,  that  I could  not 
have  lost  their  good  opinion,  and  that  their  names  following 
those  of  four  presidents,  would  sanctify  the  work  in  the  estima- 
tion of  my  countrymen  at  large  and  ensure  its  success. 

Have  the  goodness,  my  dear  sir,  to  give  this  subject  one  mo- 
ment’s consideration  ; and  then  if  you  think  the  work  deserves 
encouragement,  favor  Mr.  Dwight  with  your  advice  and  protec- 
tion, and  me  with  a few  lines  by  which  I may  be  enabled  to 
comprehend  this  now  inexplicable  enigma.  I am,  dear  sir,  your 
faithful  friend  and  servant,  J.  T. 

Timothy  Pitkin,  Esq.,  Washington. 

New  York,  Feb.  18th,  1818. 

Dear  Sir — Mr.  Dwight  has  sent  me  an  account  of  his  utter 
failure  in  the  senate,  which  astonishes  me. 

I can  only  account  for  it  in  one  way,  that  is,  that  although  Mr. 
Daggett  had  the  goodness  to  introduce  him  to  Mr.  Gaillard,  yet 
perhaps  he  did  not  previously  interest  ary  of  those  who  like  to 
lead , by  begging  them  to  take  him  and  his  book  under  their  pro- 
tection. Much  of  my  success  last  winter  was  probably  owing  to 
this  feeling,  and  I blame  myself,  not  Mr.  Dwight,  for  not  having 


364 


APPENDIX. 


been  aware  of  this,  and  not  having  furnished  him  with  letters 
with  that  view. 

I am  the  more  strongly  persuaded  that  his  book  lay  on  the 
secretary’s  table,  without  its  being  known  to  be  there,  because 
Mr.  Tate,  Judge  Smith,  and  Mr.  Fromentin,  personally  assured 
me  of  their  wish  to  possess  the  print ; and  to  them,  and  many  of 
the  southern  and  western  members,  ten  dollars  is  certainly  no 
object. 

Undoubtedly,  my  dear  sir,  when  the  picture  is  finished  and 
exhibited,  I may  have  as  many  subscribers  as  I will  furnish  with 
pens  and  ink,  provided  it  costs  them  nothing ; but  such  a sub- 
scription would  be  of  no  value  to  me  : it  would  not  be  obligatory 
on  the  subscribers  except  in  name,  for  if  any  or  all  should  decline 
taking  the  work  when  finished,  I could  not  compel  them  to  do 
it,  but  at  an  expense  greater  than  the  value  of  the  thing  con- 
tended for,  and  I should  only,  as  the  children  say,  “ have  my 
“labor  for  my  pains.” 

I am  aware  that  the  members  of  both  houses  are  continually 
teased  with  applications  and  proposals  of  all  sorts,  and  probably 
my  prospectus,  which  was  laid  on  the  table,  was  soon  huddled 
under  it,  among  covers  of  letters  and  unnoticed  newspapers. 

I have  written  to  Mr.  King,  and  shall  write  to  Mr.  Barbour  and 
some  others  in  the  senate,  and  to  Gen.  Harrison  and  Mr.  Middle- 
ton,  and  some  others  in  your  house.  In  proportion  as  success  at 
Washington  would  have  operated  most  favorably  elsewhere,  so 
do  I dread  the  impression  of  failure  ; I shall  therefore  request  Mr. 
Dwight  to  remain  a little  longer,  and  must  beg  yourself,  Mr. 
Daggett,  and  my  other  friends,  to  aid  him  as  far  as  they  think 
the  object  desirable,  as  calculated  to  diffuse  far  and  wide,  the 
memory  of  great  and  good  men,  connected  with  the  greatest  of 
all  events. 

Not  less  than  ten  thousand  dollars  must  be  expended  on  this 
object,  before  a dollar  can  be  received  in  return,  except  in  the 
way  of  subscription.  Unless  that  succeeds  therefore,  unless  my 
friends  will  trust  me  with  the  advance  of  half  price,  the  object 
must  fail ; for  none  but  a madman  would  hazard  such  a sum,  un- 
der such  inauspicious  circumstances.  I am,  dear  sir,  faithfully 
and  thankfully  yours,  J.  T. 


APPENDIX. 


365 


Governor  Barbour,  of  the  Senate. 

New  York,  Feb.  18th,  1818. 

Sir — A few  days  ago  I sent  a young  man  of  most  excellent 
character,  but  I fear  of  too  great  timidity,  Mr.  Dwight,  for  the 
purpose  of  proposing  to  the  members  of  the  government  a sub- 
scription, to  enable  me  to  publish  a print  from  the  picture  which 
I am  painting  under  their  auspices,  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. 

He  reports  to  me  that,  following  my  instructions,  he  first  ob- 
tained the  sanction  of  the  President’s  name,  in  addition  to  those 
of  the  three  ex-presidents,  which  were  already  inserted  by  their 
approbation,  and  that  then,  having  obtained  permission  of  Mr. 
Gaillard,  he  laid  a prospectus  on  the  table  of  each  gentleman  of 
the  senate,  and  the  subscription  book  on  the  table  of  the  secre- 
tary ; and  that  at  the  end  of  two  days  he  took  back  his  book, 
which  contained  not  a single  signature. 

When  I received  this  information,  I was  truly  astonished  ; that 
not  one  of  those  who  a year  ago  had  given  me  such  splendid  pat- 
ronage should  now  notice  a proposal  which  is  in  its  nature  calcu- 
lated to  diffuse,  not  only  through  our  own  country,  but  the  world, 
the  subject  of  that  national  work  which  must  otherwise  be  known 
only  to  those  who  visit  the  Capitol,  was  so  unexpected,  that  for 
the  first  day  I felt  the  severest  mortification  and  disappointment. 
On  reflection,  however,  I cannot  but  persuade  myself  that  this 
unfortunate  result  is  owing  to  my  not  having  furnished  Mr.  Dwight 
with  proper  letters  to  yourself  and  other  friends,  soliciting  your 
kind  attention  to  him  and  my  proposals.  Wanting  such  support, 
my  prospectuses  may  well  have  shared  the  fate  of  many  others, 
and  readily  have  found  their  way,  among  unnoticed  newspapers 
and  covers  of  letters,  from  the  table  to  the  floor ; and  the  subscrip- 
tion book  have  remained  unobserved,  not  days,  but  weeks. 

In  the  year  1790,  when  this  country  was  comparatively  poor, 
and  I and  my  talent  little  known,  Congress  sat  in  this  city ; to 
them  I offered  a subscription  like  this,  for  publishing  two  prints, 
of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  and  the  attack  of  Quebec.  I neither 
produced  the  paintings,  nor  sketches,  nor  copies  of  them ; yet, 
having  first  obtained  the  signature  of  President  Washington,  I 


366 


APPENDIX. 


proceeded  as  I instructed  Mr.  Dwight  to  do  ; and  in  one  day  I ob- 
tained the  signatures  of  more  than  half  the  senate ; and  soon 
afterwards,  in  one  other  day,  I obtained  an  equal  proportion  of  the 
house  of  representatives. 

It  cannot  be  supposed  that  a due  regard  to  my  reputation  will 
not  induce  me  to  endeavor  to  deliver  a work  equal  in  merit  to 
those.  I hope  it  is  not  believed  that  I cannot.  This  subject  is 
certainly  more  interesting,  and  this  print  derives  additional  interest 
from  being  copied  from  a work  patronized  by  the  nation,  and  de- 
posited in  the  Capitol.  It  cannot  but  be  desirable  to  many  in 
distant  parts  of  the  nation,  who  perhaps  may  never  have  an  op- 
portunity of  seeing  the  original,  to  possess,  at  a small  expense,  an 
elegantly  engraved  copy.  It  did  appear  to  me  that  no  speculation 
in  the  fine  arts  ever  offered  a more  flattering  prospect  than  this. 

When  the  death  of  Nelson  was  announced  in  London,  Mr. 
West  and  Mr.  Heath,  the  engraver  who  has  engaged  to  execute 
this  work  for  me,  agreed,  the  one  to  paint,  the  other  to  engrave, 
a picture  commemorating  the  event.  The  price  of  the  future 
print  was  fixed  at  the  same  sum  as  I propose,  although  the  size 
was  smaller ; and  before  the  picture  left  Mr.  West’s  house,  eigh- 
teen hundred  persons  had  become  subscribers,  and  had  paid  each 
his  two  guineas  in  advance.  But  what  were  the  death  of  Nelson 
or  the  victory  of  Trafalgar,  in  their  influence  on  the  honor  of  that 
nation,  or  the  destinies  of  man,  compared  with  that  event  which 
my  history  commemorates  ? 

And  yet,  though  my  plate  is  to  be  engraved  by  the  same  em- 
inent artist,  in  the  senate  of  the  United  States  1 have  found  not 
one  to  patronize  it.  No,  I must  not  blame  them ; my  own  error 
in  not  furnishing  Mr.  Dwight  with  proper  letters,  and  his  own 
timidity  and  want  of  experience  in  not  previously  soliciting  the 
favorable  influence  of  influential  men,  must  alone  have  been  the 
cause  of  his  total  failure.  And  I am  firmly  persuaded  that  if  you 
and  a few  others  will  now  take  the  trouble  of  adding  your  appro- 
bation in  the  senate  to  that  of  the  four  presidents,  Mr.  Dwight 
cannot  again  be  so  ignominiously  repulsed. 

I have  agreed  to  pay  Mr.  Heath  (the  first  engraver  now  living) 
for  engraving  the  plate,  seven  thousand  dollars.  I know  from 


APPENDIX. 


367 


experience  that  paper,  printing,  and  other  unavoidable  expen- 
ses, will  amount  to  as  much  more.  Ten  thousand  dollars  at 
least  must  therefore  be  expended  in  cash  before  I can  receive  one 
dollar  in  return,  unless  through  the  means  of  the  proposed  sub- 
scription. If,  indeed,  the  subject  is  thought  unimportant,  I must 
yield  to  the  opinion  of  my  country,  and  abandon  it ; but  it  will 
be  with  deep  regret. 

I beg  you  to  excuse  the  freedom  with  which  I have  written, 
and  to  believe  me,  when  I assure  you  that  I have  the  most  grate- 
ful recollection  of  your  past  kindness  and  the  strongest  reliance 
upon  its  continuance.  With  great  respect  I have  the  honor  to  be, 
sir,  your  obliged  and  faithful  servant,  J.  T. 

To  General  Harrison. 

New  York,  Feb.  18th,  1818. 

Dear  Sir — Since  I wrote  to  you  last,  I have  inquired  of  Mr. 
Peale,  and  have  received  for  answer,  that  he  possesses  no  portrait 
of  your  father  in  his  museum.  My  sole  reliance,  therefore,  must 
be  on  such  description  as  you  and  his  friend,  Col.  Meade  of  Ken- 
tucky, can  furnish  me. 

I find  from  my  agent,  Mr.  Dwight,  that  my  subscription  has 
had  no  success  in  the  senate.  I presume  it  failed  there  for  want 
of  having  secured  the  active  patronage  of  some  influential  mem- 
bers ; for  the  tables  of  the  members  of  both  houses  are  so  loaded 
with  petitions,  and  applications,  and  proposals,  that  I cannot  be 
surprised  at  the  fate  of  mine,  when  left  unsupported. 

You  was  so  good,  in  your  last,  as  to  say  that  you  would  sub- 
scribe, and  promote  my  success  as  far  as  lay  in  your  power. 
When  Mr.  Dwight  offers  his  book  to  the  house,  will  you  have 
the  goodness  to  be  his  patron,  and  remind  your  friends  that  it  is 
there.  I thought  it  my  duty  to  offer  it  first  to  the  members  of 
the  legislature,  because  those  whose  names  stand  first  receive 
the  best  prints.  With  great  respect,  I am,  dear  sir,  &c.  J.  T. 

[The  result  of  this  effort  was,  that  in  the  senate  seven  subscri- 
bers were  obtained ; in  the  house,  twenty  four,  and  the  three  sec- 
retaries ; the  entire  subscription  fell  short  of  three  hundred.] 


368 


APPENDIX. 


LETTERS. 

[No.  10.] 

To  Rufus  King,  Esq.,  Minister,  &c.  &c. 

72  Welbeck  Street,  London,  March  8th,  1798. 

Dear  Sir — When  you  requested  me  to  give  my  opinion  of  the 
dress  which  was  most  useful  and  economical  for  a military  estab- 
lishment, it  occurred  to  me  at  once  that  (as  my  opinions  on  this 
subject  varied  much  from  those  generally  entertained)  it  would 
be  difficult  for  me  to  convey  them  intelligibly  by  writing,  and 
that  there  would  be  but  little  chance  of  a fair  examination  of 
what  at  first  would  naturally  strike  men  as  fantastic  innovations, 
unless  I could  accompany  my  letter  with  a complete  dress,  made 
up  according  to  the  principles  which  appear  to  me  to  be  true.  I 
have  taken  time  to  do  this,  and  have  now  the  honor  to  submit  to 
you  the  dress,  and  the  following  observations. 

It  appears  to  me  that  the  first  object  to  be  considered  in  cloth- 
ing troops,  is  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  men ; no  one  article 
in  the  military  system  is  of  more  importance  than  this  ; with  it  is 
connected  all  that  vast  economy  which  arises  from  a diminished 
recruiting  service,  and  from  diminished  hospitals — as  well  as  that 
which  flows  from  the  activity  and  energy  of  healthy  troops. 

The  second  consideration  is  the  direct  economy  in  the  clothing 
contracts ; this  may  be  made  a very  considerable  object,  though 
far  less  important  than  the  indirect  economy  alluded  to  above. 

The  third,  but  infinitely  least  important  object,  is  show  and 
appearance. 

Under  the  head  of  health  and  comfort,  I shall  say  a few  words 
on  two  points,  which  appear  to  me  to  be  gross  errors,  in  almost 
all  the  modern  systems  of  military  dress.  I mean  long  hair  and 
tight  ligatures,  particularly  waist-bands.  If  the  life  of  a soldier 
were  to  be  passed  in  warm  and  comfortable  quarters,  and  he  were 
kept  in  pay  to  look  at  only,  it  might  be  excusable  to  calculate  his 
dress  for  the  parade,  as  you  would  that  of  a lady  for  the  ball  room  ; 
and  a tete-a-tete  which  requires  half  an  hour  at  the  toilet,  might 


APPENDIX. 


369 


be  admissible.  But  when  we  view  the  soldier  engaged  in  that 
actual  service  for  which  his  country  really  employs  him,  in  the 
presence  of  an  active  and  superior  enemy,  in  cold  and  stormy 
weather,  his  baggage  lost,  no  shelter  but  the  heavens,  nor  bed  but 
the  cold  wet  earth, — then  it  is  that  the  poor  fellow  wants  comfort, 
not  finery  ; then  it  is  that  long  hair  becomes  not  merely  an  em- 
barrassment, but  essentially  prejudicial  and  dangerous ; it  becomes 
wet,  and  being  once  in  that  condition,  must  remain  so  for  days? 
perhaps  for  weeks,  like  a soaked  sponge  at  the  back  of  the  neck, 
loading  the  nerves,  those  mainsprings  of  life  and  motion,  at  their 
very  source,  with  a cold,  noisome  humidity,  vexatious  to  the  im- 
mediate feelings,  and  infinitely  baneful  in  its  ultimate  conse- 
quences to  his  health.  I doubt  the  possibility  of  inventing  any 
so  simple  application  by  which  the  human  constitution  should  be 
more  infallibly,  irremediably,  and  seriously  injured,  than  by  this. 

On  questions  of  beauty,  as  well  as  taste,  I know  it  is  generally 
as  difficult  to  decide  as  it  is  easy  to  dispute ; however,  on  this 
particular  subject  of  long  hair,  as  being  unbecoming  and  disagree- 
able to  the  eye  in  military  dress,  I have  very  high  authority  on 
my  side.  I appeal  from  the  arbitrary  and  fickle  laws  of  modern 
fashions,  which  sometimes  require  us  to  wear  huge  clubs,  some- 
times little  pigtails,  and  sometimes,  as  a few  years  ago  in  the 
Austrian  and  Prussian  service,  decorates  military  beaux  with  tails 
long  and  large  enough  to  rival  monkies, — I appeal  from  all  this 
nonsense  to  the  example  of  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans,  who 
were  good  judges  both  of  war  and  of  manly  beauty.  Many  of 
their  statues  and  bas-reliefs  have  come  down  to  us,  after  being 
the  admiration  of  ages  ; among  them  are  many  figures  of  their 
heroes  and  demi-gods,  but  not  one  example  of  a long-haired  hero. 
They  very  well  knew  that  nothing  gives  so  much  appearance  of 
lightness,  activity  and  dignity  to  the  human  figure  as  the  small- 
ness of  the  head  ; unlike  the  modern  inventors  of  grenadiers’  caps, 
bear  skins,  huge  three  cornered  hats,  &c.  who  seem  to  have  sup- 
posed that  the  formidable  appearance  of  their  troops  was  increased 
by  giving  them  heads  too  big  for  their  bodies  to  support ; as  if  a 
man  with  a basket  or  bushel  on  his  head,  were  more  fit  for  athletic 
action  than  one  without.  Notwithstanding,  therefore,  that  most 

47 


370 


APPENDIX. 


of  the  young  officers  of  the  army,  many  of  the  soldiers,  and  all 
the  sweethearts  of  both  may  think  me  ridiculous,  I have  no  hesi- 
tation to  say,  that  I regard  very  short  hair  as  indispensable  to  the 
comfort,  health,  and  elegance  of  troops;  and  in  my  opinion,  an 
order  to  this  purpose  ought  to  form  one  of  the  fundamental  regu- 
lations of  the  service.  With  short  hair  I will  not  object  to  pow- 
der, because  very  little  will  be  necessary ; it  can  be  applied  in  a 
moment,  and  will  give  uniformity  of  appearance.  I scarce  need 
add,  that  the  government  which  should  adopt  this  idea  for  its 
troops,  ought  at  the  same  time  most  carefully  to  avoid  enacting 
any  law,  which  should  render  short  hair  a part  of  the  dress  of 
those  criminals,  whom  it  might  be  wise  to  condemn  to  hard  labor 
or  other  ignominious  punishment. 

Tight  ligatures  are  not  merely  painful  at  those  times  when  the 
body  is  in  exercise,  but  when  long  continued  do,  by  checking  the 
circulation,  produce  gradual  and  rooted  debility.  The  waistband 
particularly,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  smallclothes  neatly  to 
their  place,  is  usually  drawn  tight,  and  binds  hard  upon  that  part 
of  the  human  figure  which  is  least  strongly  supported  by  bones  ; 
compresses  those  muscles  upon  whose  free  and  perfect  action  the 
great  movements  of  the  body  depend,  and  injures  very  materially, 
though  imperceptibly  at  first,  the  nervous  system  of  the  lower 
extremities.  From  the  compression  of  this  nervous  and  muscu- 
lar part,  (and  the  mass  of  long  hair,  so  often  bearing  upon  the 
back  of  the  neck,  and  affecting  the  nerves  almost  in  their  origin,) 
arise  many  of  those  pains  in  the  back  and  loins,  debilities  of  the 
lower  limbs,  and  rheumatic  complaints,  which  so  much  prevail 
in  armies,  and  which  are  usually  ascribed  to  cold  and  fatigue. 
Tight  waistbands  are,  therefore,  as  objectionable  in  my  opinion 
as  long  hair ; and  I have  endeavored  to  avoid  the  use  of  them 
entirely,  as  well  as  of  all  other  ligatures  in  every  part  of  my  dress. 

It  is  proper  also  to  say  a few  words  on  the  other  errors  of  mod- 
ern uniforms,  which  are  useless,  and  equally  inconsistent  with 
show  as  with  economy  ; — I mean  the  long  skirts  of  coats,  and  lap- 
pels  ; these  add  nothing  to  the  warmth  or  comfort  of  the  soldier, 
but  they  add  considerably  to  the  expense  of  his  dress,  in  cloth, 
buttons,  and  making ; the  lappel  injures  his  appearance,  being 


APPENDIX. 


371 


of  one  color,  the  ground  of  the  dress  of  another,  the  underdress 
of  a third,  and  these  crossed  by  belts  frequently  of  a fourth.  The 
modern  well  dressed  soldier  is  divided  into  so  many  scraps  and 
parcels,  that  when  viewed  in  front,  he  really  has  more  the  ap- 
pearance of  a harlequin,  in  a patch- work  coat,  than  a man  dressed 
for  service  and  elegance  ; and  this  is  still  more  applicable  to  the 
music  of  most  regiments,  who  are  rendered  perfectly  ridiculous 
by  this  study  of  babyish  finery.  I have,  therefore,  discarded 
from  my  dress  both  the  skirts  and  lappels.  It  remains  to  describe 
the  several  parts  of  the  dress  which  I have  the  honor  to  submit 
to  you. 

For  the  hat,  I substitute  a cap,  nearly  resembling  the  ancient 
Roman  helmet,  and  calculated  for  convenience,  comfort  and 
safety.  It  is  completely  weather  proof;  it  has  no  superfluous 
parts  or  size,  no  awkward  projecting  corners,  to  incommode  the 
soldier  or  his  neighbor  in  their  exercises  or  firings.  The  small 
projection  in  front,  is  sufficient  to  protect  the  eyes  from  the  sun 
and  weather ; the  bandeau,  which  in  fair  weather  is  an  orna- 
ment, becomes  useful  in  foul  weather ; by  removing  the  cockade, 
it  is  loosed  in  front,  and  turns  down  in  form  of  a cape,  buttons 
on  the  shoulders  of  the  jacket,  and  ties  under  the  chin,  so  as  to 
shelter  the  neck  and  ears  from  rain,  snow  and  cold ; the  cap  be- 
ing made  of  jerked  leather,  guarded  with  brass  wire,  is  a perfect 
security  to  the  head,  against  the  stroke  of  a horseman’s  sword. 

The  jacket  is  perfectly  simple,  calculated  merely  to  cover  and 
show  the  form  of  the  body.  The  cuff  and  collar  (upright)  of  a 
different  color  from  the  basis  of  the  dress,  may  serve  and  is  suffi- 
cient to  mark  the  distinctions  of  brigades  or  divisions,  while  regi- 
mental distinctions,  may  be  marked  by  the  number  on  the  but- 
ton. In  place  of  the  common  epaulet  or  shoulder  strap,  I have 
adopted  what  is  now  worn  by  many  of  the  British  regiments,  an 
epaulet  composed  of  brass  rings,  laid  sufficiently  close,  to  resist 
the  stroke  of  a sword ; by  this  means  the  shoulders,  as  well  as 
the  head,  are  very  much  protected.  When  these  want  cleaning, 
the  red  cloth  is  easily  removed  from  under  the  rings,  (which  are 
not  sewed  to  it,  but  to  the  leather,)  and  replaced  by  the  soldier 
himself;  the  three  buttons  on  the  bottom  of  the  collar,  (ranging 


372 


APPENDIX. 


with  those  for  the  shoulder  straps,)  are  to  secure  the  cape  of  the 
helmet  in  bad  weather,  the  four  button  holes  in  the  waist,  are  to 
receive  the  corresponding  buttons  on  the  waistband  of  the  over- 
alls, which  are  supported  by  these  means. 

The  overalls  are  in  the  common  form,  except  that  they  do  not 
tie  in  the  waistband,  being  supported  by  buttoning  the  four  upper 
buttons  of  the  waistband  to  the  corresponding  holes  of  the  jacket. 
The  gaiters  are  part  of  the  overalls,  the  lining  of  which  being 
continued  down  to  the  foot,  the  cloth  of  the  overalls  stops  at  the 
calf  of  the  leg,  and  is  there  met  by  a black  cloth  which  forms 
the  gaiter.  1 have  made  these  to  fasten  by  means  of  a strap, 
passing  under  the  foot,  and  a small  buckle  on  the  inside  of  the 
foot ; but  as  the  men  may  sometimes  hurt  themselves  in  march- 
ing, by  striking  these  buckles  against  their  ankles,  I am  disposed 
to  believe  that  it  might  be  better  to  have  either  a loop,  where 
the  buckle  now  is,  and  to  remove  the  buckle  to  the  top  of  the 
foot,  or  to  have  two  straps,  one  on  each  side  of  the  foot,  both  to 
pass  under  the  shoe,  and  long  enough  to  meet  and  tie  on  the  top 
of  the  foot.  Both  these  articles  (the  jackets  and  overalls)  are 
lined,  throughout,  with  flannel ; stockings  and  drawers  are  there- 
fore useless,  except  in  extreme  seasons ; in  general,  a sock  reach- 
ing a few  inches  above  the  ankle  will  be  sufficient. 

I have  nothing  to  say  of  the  shoe,  except  that  it  is  easier  to 
the  foot  and  more  economical  to  use  strings  than  buckles,  and  as 
both  are  equally  concealed  by  the  gaiter,  nothing  is  gained  or  lost, 
in  point  of  appearance,  by  the  adoption  of  either.  I should  pre- 
fer black  leather  straps  and  belts,  for  the  officers  and  soldiers  of 
the  infantry ; the  cartridge  box  and  sheath  for  the  bayonet  being 
black,  the  belts  should  be  so  likewise,  both  for  the  sake  of  that 
beauty  which  is  always  derived  from  simplicity,  and  because  I 
would  not  have  the  men  encumbered  with  various  materials,  and 
modes  of  cleaning  their  dress  and  accoutrements. 

On  the  straps  which  I send  with  my  dress,  I have  run  a chain 
of  brass  wire,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  safety  of  the  sol- 
dier, and  of  adding  something  of  ornament ; but  now  that  I come 
to  see  it,  it  is  not  a thing  which  I can  approve  of,  at  least  for  the 
infantry,  because  it  is  inconvenient,  particularly  in  firing ; yet  I 


APPENDIX. 


373 


have  left  it,  as  worth  some  consideration,  perhaps,  for  the  artillery 
and  cavalry. 

The  color  which  I have  chosen  for  my  dress  may  be  objected 
to.  I certainly  did  not  choose  it  for  beauty,  but  for  utility  ; it  is 
durable,  and  less  easily  soiled  than  any  color  that  I know.  Hair 
powder  does  not  soil  it  as  it  does  blue  or  any  dark  color  ; dust  or 
gunpowder  do  not  injure  it  as  they  do  white,  yellow,  buff,  or 
other  delicate  colors ; it  is  sufficiently  dark  to  be  little  distin- 
guishable in  the  night  ,*  and  further,  it  is  a color  which  we  our- 
selves can  make,  even  in  an  imperfect  state  of  manufactures,  and 
we  shall  save  all  the  expense  of  the  blue,  scarlet,  and  other  dyes. 

However,  if  more  of  elegance  be  insisted  upon,  give  to  each  of 
them  a second  jacket  for  the  parade,  of  white  cloth,  with  the 
same  cuff  and  collar,  and  the  dress  will  be  found  to  be  very 
showy  and  elegant.  This  is  the  custom  of  the  Austrian  service, 
where  the  dress  uniform  is  white,  with  an  undress  of  French 
grey. 

I shall  be  highly  gratified  if  these  observations,  either  in  whole 
or  in  part,  shall  be  thought  to  be  just  and  meet  the  approbation 
of  yourself,  and  of  those  to  whom  they  are  ultimately  to  be  sub- 
mitted. I am,  &c. 

To  General  Knox,  Boston. 

London,  June  15th,  1798. 

Dear  General — I presume  that  in  your  retirement  you  can- 
not have  banished  all  recollection  of  your  ancient  employment,  or 
be  inattentive  to  any  thing  which  promises  benefit  to  our  country, 
when  she  is  again  threatened  with  war.  I therefore  take  the  lib- 
erty of  reporting  to  you  an  improvement  which  I have  lately  seen 
in  the  construction  and  service  of  artillery,  which,  so  far  as  I can 
judge,  promises  to  give  a great  superiority  to  those  who  shall  first 
make  use  of  it,  and  which  (if  it  should  meet  the  approbation  of 
wiser  men  than  I am)  I could  wish  might  be  introduced  among 
us.  The  gun  is  between  the  long  heavy  piece,  and  the  carronade  ; 
not  quite  so  short  and  light  as  the  latter,  but  its  range  nearly  equal 
to  the  former.  It  may  be  fired  quicker  than  in  the  way  now 
practiced,  nearly  in  the  proportion  of  three  to  two : fewer  men  are 


374 


APPENDIX. 


required,  by  at  least  one  in  five,  to  perform  the  quickest  fire  ; little 
more  than  activity  is  required,  and  any  active  man  may  be  taught 
in  a few  days.  From  the  manner  of  loading,  all  danger  of  losing 
the  men’s  arms  is  avoided.  The  mode  of  elevating  and  depress- 
ing the  gun  is  simplified,  and  reduced  to  mathematical  precision  ; 
and  a mortar  of  the  large  size  may  be  elevated  or  depressed  with 
the  same  facility  and  precision  as  a light  field  gun.  If  you  are 
obliged  to  abandon  a gun  in  the  field,  if  one  man  remain,  he  may 
completely  disable  the  gun  in  a few  minutes,  by  removing  a part 
which  he  can  carry  away  in  his  hand.  If  a ship  should  be  obli- 
ged to  strike,  her  whole  battery  might  first  be  rendered  wholly 
unserviceable  by  dismounting  this  part  of  the  carriage,  and  throw- 
ing it  overboard. 

There  is  nothing  in  these  improvements  either  complex,  difficult 
of  execution,  or  expensive.  A gun  and  carriage,  or  mortar  and 
bed,  on  this  construction,  will  not  cost  a guinea  more  than  on  the 
present  plan.  The  objects  to  be  gained  are,  superiority  in  quick- 
ness and  precision  of  fire,  diminution  of  the  number  of  men,  and 
security  to  those  employed. 

The  inventor  is  now  in  treaty  with  this  government,  in  the 
course  of  which  his  models  must  pass  the  examination  of  the 
board  of  ordnance,  some  of  whom  are  indolent,  some  wedded  to 
projects  of  their  own,  and  few  of  them  men  of  real  science.  Their 
report  therefore  may  be  less  favorable  than  the  thing  deserves ; 
add  to  which  that  the  immense  establishment  of  this  nation,  and 
particularly  its  navy,  is  already  formed,  and  the  expense  of  a 
change  will  be  a powerful  argument  with  those  who  from  indo- 
lence, or  intrigue,  or  envy,  may  oppose  the  innovation.  He  is 
aware  of  this,  and  therefore  looks  to  America.  Our  arsenals  and 
establishments  are  in  their  infancy,  and  it  is  of  great  importance 
that  we  should  begin  with  the  highest  improvements  now  known. 
The  introduction  of  this  will  be  attended  with  no  other  expense 
or  difficulty  than  merely  the  reward  which  the  inventor  ought  to 
receive. 

It  is  not  a fit  object  for  a patent  right,  because  that  would  lay 
open  to  the  world  not  the  general  principles  merely,  but  the  exact 
dimensions,  proportions,  &c.  A place  in  the  superintendence  of 


APPENDIX. 


375 


the  arsenals  would  be  a more  eligible  thing  for  both  parties.  The 
latter  is  what  would  be  wished  by  the  inventor,  who  is,  I believe, 
capable  of  superintending  every  stage  of  the  process,  from  the 
smelting  of  the  ore,  to  the  completion  of  the  carriage,  platforms, 
and  even  handspikes.  Is  it  probable  that  the  inventor  would  meet 
a due  reward  from  our  government,  on  condition  that  the  improve- 
ment proposed  should  meet  the  approbation  of  yourself  and  such 
other  gentlemen  among  us  as  are  best  acquainted  with  the  sub- 
ject ? I shall  write  to  the  secretary  of  war  on  the  subject,  but  I 
regard  your  opinion  as  of  the  first  importance,  because  I presume 
that  no  change  in  the  artillery  service,  of  any  consequence,  will 
be  introduced  without  being  first  submitted  to  you,  and  receiving 
your  sanction.  May  I beg  the  favor  of  an  early  answer.  I am,  &c. 

To  S.  M.  Hopkins,  Esq. 

London,  March  15th,  1799. 

Dear  Sir — A letter  from  my  friend,  Mr.  Church,  tells  me  that 
he  has  received  from  you  four  hundred  and  twenty  four  dollars 
and  thirty  three  cents,  conformable  to  the  minute  which  I sent 
you  in  mine  of  August  3d.  This  finishes,  satisfactorily,  all  our 
little  money  transactions  ; but  I have  not  yet  been  informed  by 
you,  whether  you  duly  received  your  trunks,  and  your  bills  on 
Mr.  Watson,  cancelled.  I presume,  however,  they  have  gone  safe. 

Do  you  understand  Spanish  ? if  not,  learn  it.  Long  before 
you  are  old,  you  will  have  occasion  for  it ; for  the  wonderful 
scenes  of  this  revolutionary  period  will  not  be  confined  to  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  but  Spanish  America  must  also,  necessarily, 
receive  the  general  impulse. 

Whether  from  France  or  from  us  ; whether  sanguinary  scenes 
of  desolation  shall  deform,  or  mild  and  wise  systems  dignify  the 
event,  depends  on  America  to  decide.  And  she  must  decide  and 
act  promptly,  and  by  so  doing,  secure  the  friendship  and  alliance 
of  her  neighbor  empires,  or  the  work  will  soon  be  accomplished 
on  the  horrible  principles  of  Jacobinism,  giving  us  enemies  of  the 
most  deadly  and  dangerous  character  for  neighbors. 


376 


APPENDIX. 


The  fate  of  Spain  is  suspended  only  by  the  unsettled  state  of 
affairs  on  the  German  and  Italian  side.  The  moment  France 
feels  herself  secure  there,  (and  I fear  that  day  is  not  far  distant,) 
we  shall  see  the  Iberian  republic  rise  upon  the  ruins  of  the  Span- 
ish and  Portuguese  thrones,  and  hosts  of  French  and  Iberian  Jac- 
obins will  eagerly  hasten  to  Potosi  and  Peru. 

Europe  has  been  ruined  in  this  war,  as  their  ancestors  were  in 
the  ancient  struggles  against  Rome.  Nation  after  nation,  un- 
taught by  the  miserable  fate  of  the  neighboring  victims,  which 
were  daily  sacrificed  at  the  shrine  of  ambition,  sought  to  secure 
their  own  existence,  by  temporizing  and  prudent  measures,  and 
each  was  first  flattered,  while  other  enemies  rendered  their  friend- 
ship or  neutrality  desirable,  and  afterwards  fell  in  its  turn,  a weak 
and  helpless  sacrifice,  while  the  fall  of  each  was  secretly  rejoiced 
in  by  those  who  had  fallen  before. 

Let  us  not  follow  this  miserable  example ; by  words  we  have 
done  all  in  our  power  to  exasperate,  beyond  the  possibility  of  for- 
giveness, the  most  implacable  enemy.  We  cannot  hope  for 
safety,  but  in  the  ruin  of  that  enemy.  Why  then  do  we  persist 
in  half  measures,  and  remain  in  this  hermaphrodite  state,  neither 
of  peace  or  war  ? Let  us  boldly,  and  in  time,  contribute  to  that 
ruin  by  deeds. 

The  universe  does  not  offer  such  a magnificent  object  of  policy, 
as  the  emancipation  of  Spanish  America.  (God  forbid,  I or  my 
country  should  dream  of  conquest.)  Aided  by  a few  troops  from 
us,  and  by  a squadron  of  ships  from  this  country,  (a  co-operation 
for  which  they  are  prepared,)  the.  eighteen  millions  of  inhabitants 
of  those  colonies,  might  in  a few  months  be  enabled  to  throw  off 
the  yoke,  and  guided  by  our  example  and  advice,  to  establish 
one  or  two  empires  on  real  principles  of  freedom,  under  constitu- 
tions similar  to  ours  or  the  British. 

We  should  be  amply  rewarded  for  the  expense  and  trouble,  by 
a friendly  alliance  and  free  intercourse  of  commerce  ; and  Eng- 
land, for  her  co-operation,  by  the  addition  of  such  an  immense 
market  for  her  manufactures.  The  continent  of  Europe  seems 
destined  to  sink;  but  let  them;  America  will  be  secure,  and 
supporting  and  supported  by  the  British  naval  power,  one  quarter 


APPENDIX. 


377 


of  the  globe  will  be  saved  from  the  bloody  pollution  of  French 
freedom. 

Think  of  this,  my  friend.  You  are  young  and  vigorous,  and 
must  act.  I cordially  wish  you  prosperity,  and  am,  &c. 

To  J.  Hall. 

72  Welbeck  street,  London,  April  7th,  1799. 

Dear  Hall — If  I had  not  been  a miserable  sick  Yankee  a 
great  part  of  the  time  since  you  left  us,  you  would  have  had  the 
trouble  of  reading  some  of  my  scribbling  before  this.  I am  now 
in  much  better  health  than  I have  been  for  some  years ; but  even 
if  I were  half  expiring,  benumbed  with  the  palsy,  I think  the  last 
news  from  America  would  have  raised  me. 

In  the  name  of  goodness,  what  madness  has  suggested  a third 
scene  of  disgraceful,  humiliating  negotiation,  with  men  who 
have  twice  kicked  us  out  of  their  house  ? Do  we  court,  do  we 
solicit  disgrace  and  contempt  ? Are  we  really  so  double-faced, 
guilty  of  such  shallow  perfidy,  as  to  propose  to  negotiate  in  the 
same  hour,  with  Russia  and  the  Porte,  two  deadly  enemies  of 
France — with  citizen  Toussaint,  a rebel  subject  of  France,  and 
with  France  herself?  Which  of  the  four  do  we  think  ourselves 
wise  enough  to  dupe  ? or  have  we  learned  a new  rule  in  these 
times  of  religious  as  well  as  political  refinement  ? Do  we  propose 
to  serve  God  and  mammon  ? 

Fatal,  fatal  policy,  whoever  advised  it,  and  its  author,  whoever 
he  be,  will  long  deserve  the  curses  not  of  his  country  only,  but  of 
mankind.  Our  reputation  stood  so  wonderfully  high,  a short 
week  ago,  there  was  a manly  dignity  in  our  language,  which 
commanded  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  the  world. 

The  energy  of  naval  and  military  preparation,  gave  weight  to 
that  language,  and  promised  safety  to  our  country ; but  by  this 
fatal  step,  we  have  unnerved  the  martial  spirit  in  which  was  our 
only  security,  and  have  thrown  away  our  reputation  without  the 
chance  of  obtaining  any  benefit  in  exchange. 

How  must  we  be  laughed  at  by  Talleyrand  and  his  masters, 
so  soon  and  so  easily  duped ; and  these  pacific  demonstrations, 

48 


378 


APPENDIX. 


succeeding  so  soon  to  the  gallant,  heroic  blustering  of  our  wordy 
addresses  and  answers  of  last  year.  Gracious  Heaven ! when  I 
compare  our  deeds  with  our  words,  nay,  our  very  language  with 
itself  at  different  dates,  I blush  that  I am  an  American.  Thank 
God,  I am  not  such  an  American. 

I was  formerly,  you  know,  called  a Jacobin.  I wish  the 
president,  and  all  your  rulers,  were  just  such  Jacobins — my  Jac- 
obinism aimed  at  resenting  and  resisting  insult  and  injury,  come 
from  whom  it  would.  I was  the  enemy  of  England  when  she 
injured  us ; I was  her  friend  when  she  stipulated  to  make  us  re- 
paration ; I became  the  enemy  of  France  when  she  commenced 
her  game  of  injury  and  insult.  I would  not  a third  time  suppli- 
cate her  forbearance  or  court  her  friendship,  until  unsolicited  or 
compelled , she  returns  to  principles  and  conduct  very  unlike  any 
thing  she  has  yet  shown  towards  us. 

And  this  is  the  great  and  glorious  policy  which  occupies  the 
vast,  capacious  intellects  of  our  wise  rulers  ! Have  they  no 
eyes  ? Have  they  no  foresight  ? Do  they  not  see  that  Europe  is 
rotten  to  the  core,  and  hastening  to  destruction  ? Do  they  not 
see  the  immense  power  of  their  neighbors  on  the  continent  of 
America  at  no  distant  day  ? Why  then  should  America  court 
the  embraces  of  debauched  and  polluted  Europe,  while  she  neg- 
lects the  acquaintance  of  her  young,  healthy,  rich,  and  vigorous 
neighbor  ? 

America  united  has  wealth  and  power  to  defy  the  remainder  of 
the  world.  There  our  policy  ought  to  center,  continue  among 
ourselves,  and  leave  Europe  to  the  ruin  which  awaits  her  crimes. 
A small  exertion  would  emancipate  all  the  Spanish  possessions, 
and  enable  millions  of  people  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  real  lib- 
erty under  wise  governments,  founded  on  the  principles  of  reason 
and  justice.  The  seeds  of  revolution  are  sown  there  ; the  fruit 
will  soon  ripen,  if  under  our  cultivation,  a fruit  healthy  and  deli- 
cious; but  if  under  Jacobinical  hands,  a poison,  deadly  to  us  and 
to  the  world.  France  wants  only  the  precious  metals  to  be  mis- 
tress of  the  earth.  Spain  and  Portugal  wait  only  the  end  of  this 
campaign  to  be  revolutionized,  and  with  them  falls  South  Amer- 
ica, with  all  its  wealth.  And  when  this  is  done,  and  the  danger 


APPENDIX. 


379 


is  thus  at  our  door,  the  poinard  in  our  bosom,  we  shall  stare  and 
cry,  “ Who  could  have  believed  that  we  were  in  any  danger?’’ 
Alas,  the  world  is  infatuated,  and  we  with  the  others.  Fare- 
well. 

To  Gen.  Washington. 

72  Welbeck  street,  London,  March  24th,  1799. 

Dear  Sir — I have  duly  received  the  letter  which  you  did  me 
the  honor  to  write  on  the  10th  of  December  last,  with  its  enclo- 
sure of  the  25th  of  July,  the  original  of  which  never  came  to 
hand.  I beg  to  offer  my  thanks,  for  the  very  obliging  and  flat- 
tering expressions  with  which  you  honor  me  in  both.  On  the 
18th  of  September,  I again  wrote  to  you  by  the  Nancy,  Davidson, 
bound  to  Alexandria,  and  by  her  sent  a small  box  directed  to  you, 
and  containing  the  four  pairs  of  my  prints,  for  which  you  was  so 
good  as  to  subscribe  so  long  ago.  I hope  they  have  reached  you 
safe. 

New  scenes  indeed  are  bursting  upon  us  at  every  moment  of 
this  eventful  period,  and  I trust,  sir,  that  you  are  now  destined  to 
act  a more  important  part  in  this  great  drama,  than  you  have 
done  in  any  former  period  of  your  life, — to  save  again  your 
country,  and  to  establish  her  security  and  greatness,  upon  a basis 
broad  and  firm  as  is  the  dontinent  of  which  she  forms  a part.  I 
beg  your  pardon,  but  I cannot  refrain  from  hazarding  to  you 
some  political  speculations,  which  I hope  you  will  not  think  im- 
pertinent. 

A few  months  since,  Portugal  was  threatened  with  the  immediate 
vengeance  of  France  ; preparations  were  made  for  the  invasion  ; 
a passage  for  troops  was  demanded  from  Spain,  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Iberian  republic , upon  the  ruins  of  those  two 
kingdoms,  seemed  inevitable  and  at  hand  ; but  the  negotiations 
with  Russia,  the  Porte,  and  at  Rastadt,  assumed  a more  threat- 
ening aspect  during  the  winter,  and  France  accepted  a considera- 
ble sum  of  money  from  the  two  devoted  nations,  as  the  purchase 
of  another  year’s  existence. 

Hostilities  are  now  commenced  on  the  side  of  the  Alps,  with 
doubtful  success,  but  the  activity  of  the  one  party,  who  always 


380 


APPENDIX. 


attack,  and  the  slow  movements,  and  incorrigible  error  of  the 
other  in  always  acting  on  the  defensive,  and  in  detachments, 
leave  us  but  too  much  reason  to  apprehend  a new  series  of  dis- 
asters. 

The  publication,  by  the  French,  of  the  secret  articles  of  the 
treaty  of  Campo  Formio,  scarcely  leaves  to  France,  any  longer, 
the  superiority  in  perfidy  and  baseness ; it  shows  the  world,  that 
the  conduct  of  the  emperor  has  been  equally  flagitious  as  hers, 
and  is  admirably  calculated  to  increase  the  mutual  want  of  con- 
fidence among  the  allies.  Russia  enters  the  field  feebly,  with 
twenty  five  thousand  men.  The  Porte  is  nerveless.  Prussia 
smiles  at  the  approaching  and  increased  disasters  of  her  neigh- 
bors, and  England,  alone,  of  all  the  European  powers,  displays 
any  of  that  fortitude  and  energy  which  alone  can  save  them. 
She  may  survive  the  ruin  of  her  continental  neighbors ; but  dis- 
tracted with  mutual  jealousy,  depressed  by  repeated  ill  success, 
and  these  evils  rendered  still  more  dangerous  by  the  want  of  any 
great  mind,  capable  of  suspending  their  effects,  they  appear  to 
be  devoted  to  early  ruin ; and  the  coming  winter  will  probably 
see  the  French  republic  again  victorious,  and  more  tremendous 
than  ever. 

Should  the  campaign  terminate  in  this  manner,  France  will 
then  be  at  leisure  to  attend  to  Spain  and  Portugal ; and  so  thor- 
oughly are  they  prepared , that  their  fall  will  be  as  rapid  as  those 
of  Sardinia,  Naples,  and  Switzerland,  and  their  subversion  re- 
quire little  more  time  than  is  necessary  to  the  march  of  an  unre- 
sisted army.  And  the  government  of  the  new  republic  being 
organized,  hosts  of  supernumerary  French  and  Iberian  Jacobins, 
will  hasten  to  secure  the  rich  dependencies  of  America. 

Two  years  ago,  the  best  politicians  of  France  regarded  the  pos- 
session of  Louisiana  and  the  Floridas,  as  sufficient  to  hold  the 
Spanish  colonies  in  check,  “ and  to  influence  the  affairs  of  the 
United  States  but,  with  their  unexampled  success,  their  ambi- 
tious views  have  extended,  and  when  Spain  and  Portugal  shall 
have  been  revolutionized,  where  will  be  the  difficulty  of  diffusing 
the  same  principles  and  influences  over  all  the  American  posses- 
sions of  these  powers  ? — countries,  where  oppression  has  long  since 


APPENDIX. 


381 


prepared  the  minds  of  men  for  change  ; where  liberty  and  inde- 
pendence are  the  objects  of  all  men’s  wishes ; and  where  they 
who  shall  first  offer  those  blessings,  will  be  received  with  rapture. 
What  will  be  the  situation  of  the  United  States,  when  they 
shall  have  fifteen  millions  of  Jacobins  at  their  doors,  intimately 
connected  with,  and  disposable  by,  a power  whom  we  have  ex- 
asperated beyond  the  possibility  of  forgiveness,  by  the  disclosure 
of  their  infamous  personal  corruption,  and  base  principles  of  ne- 
gotiation, as  well  as  by  the  subsequent  addresses  and  answers. 
Shall  we  then  rely  upon  our  distance  from  the  danger  ? or  upon 
the  protection  of  foreign  navies  ? or  will  the  infant  state  of  our 
own  be  sufficient  to  protect  us  ? I may  seem  to  exaggerate  ; 
these  objects  may  appear  too  vast,  to  be  brought  into  operation 
with  such  rapidity  ; but  what  miracles  have  we  not  witnessed 
within  a few  years? 

And  what  is  there  too  vast  not  to  be  feared  from  men,  whose 
infinite  industry,  activity,  talents  and  ambition,  are  allied  with 
principles,  which  give  them  friends  in  the  bosom  of  every  nation, 
and  who  are  seconded  by  all  the  desperadoes  and  profligate  poor, 
in  every  country. 

I certainly  do  not  exaggerate  when  I say,  that  Europe  is  rotten 
to  the  heart,  and  that  in  Europe,  America  has  not  one  friend  on 
whose  support  she  can  rely.  So  true  is  this,  that  I should  appre- 
hend little  less  danger  under  another  form  to  my  country,  from 
the  ruin,  than  from  the  successes  of  the  French  republic. 

Instead  then  of  looking  to  Europe  for  safety,  or  connection  of 
any  kind,  other  than  perhaps  with  this  nation  for  a temporary 
purpose , does  it  not  appear  that  the  true  object  of  American  policy 
is  nearer  home?  The  emancipation  of  our  southern  neighbors, 
the  establishment  among  them  of  wise  and  just  governments  on 
the  principles  of  rational  liberty,  the  diffusion  of  knowledge,  and 
the  cultivation  of  the  friendship  and  affection  of  those,  with 
whom  Providence  has  destined  us  to  be  necessarily  and  inti- 
mately connected,  either  as  friends  or  foes, — these  appear  to  me 
to  be  objects  worthy  of  all  the  attention,  and  all  the  energy  of 
honest,  great,  enlightened,  and  intelligent  minds ; objects  which, 
if  properly  pursued,  will  lead  our  country  with  rapidity  to  a de- 


382 


APPENDIX. 


gree  of  solid  power  and  honest  fame,  equally  superior  to  danger 
and  to  reproach. 

It  may  be  said  to  be  imprudent  to  aid  in  establishing  empires, 
which  may  soon  become  our  rivals  or  our  enemies  ; true,  they 
may  become  our  enemies,  even  if  we  aid  in  their  establishment ; 
but  if  we  do  not  assist  them,  and  the  work  is  left  to  France  they 
must  become  so  ! A revolution  must  very  soon  take  place  there ; 
the  seed  is  sown,  and  the  fruit  will  inevitably  ripen  ; that  revolu- 
tion, if  it  be  conducted  on  Jacobin  principles,  those  vast  coun- 
tries, drenched  with  the  blood  of  all  that  is  rich,  or  eminent,  or 
virtuous,  will,  with  all  their  wealth,  become  irresistible  instru- 
ments in  the  hands  of  France,  of  spreading  tyranny  and  desola- 
tion over  the  remainder  of  the  earth ; and  we  shall  be  the  first  to 
sink  under  such  an  accumulated  weight  of  power. 

But  if  we  have  wisdom  and  energy  to  abandon  our  defensive 
system,  which  has  proved  fatal  to  every  nation  which  has  adopted 
it  during  the  present  contest ; and  to  anticipate  the  views  of  the 
enemy,  we  not  only  deprive  him  of  the  immense  resources  which 
he  even  now  derives  from  that  source,  through  the  medium  of 
Spanish  and  Portuguese  contributions,  but  we  secure  ourselves 
from  the  most  serious  and  imminent  danger  to  which  we  are  ex- 
posed. We  establish  the  glory  of  our  country,  with  its  security. 
We  add  to  both  an  inexhaustible  source  of  future  commercial 
prosperity  and  maritime  greatness,  and  we  give  to  liberty,  real 
and  rational  liberty,  a secure  and  wide  asylum,  where  men,  un- 
polluted with  the  bloody  crimes,  the  base  corruption,  and  the 
shameless  profligacy  of  Europe,  may  rest  in  peace. 

To  accomplish  this  great  and  splendid  object,  the  renewed 
confusions  of  Europe  leave  us  one  year  more.  I pray  God  that 
we  may  improve  that  short  period  with  energy ; for  I see  no 
other  means  of  securing  ourselves  from  the  common  ruin  which 
hangs  over  the  heads  of  all  civilized  nations. 

I hope  to  have  the  happiness  of  seeing  the  evening  of  your 
life,  more  useful  and  more  glorious  than  its  noon,  and  of  saluting 
you,  my  dear  sir,  not  merely  as  the  father  of  the  United  States, 
but  of  the  united  empires  of  America. 


APPENDIX. 


383 


I trust  you  will  not  think  I have  been  forward,  or  officious,  in 
thus  freely  communicating  to  you  my  ideas  of  the  danger  of  our 
common  country,  and  of  the  means  of  averting  them.  Living 
amidst  scenes  of  daily  and  astonishing  change,  and  a near  wit- 
ness to  the  successful  and  boundless  ambition  of  France,  and  of 
the  perfidy,  the  mutual  jealousies,  the  distraction  and  weakness 
of  the  rest  of  Europe,  1 look  with  increasing  anxiety  to  my  coun- 
try, when  I see  her  pursuing  the  same  defensive  system  which 
has  led  so  many  nations  to  successive  ruin.  This  is  no  time  for 
common  policy  or  temporizing  measures ; the  danger  is  immi- 
nent, the  plans  of  our  enemy  are  vast  as  the  world,  and  we  must 
oppose  to  them,  policy  equally  great,  activity  equally  indefatiga- 
ble, and  courage  equally  ardent.  These,  honestly  and  earnestly 
exerted  in  the  cause  of  real  liberty  and  virtue,  will  triumph  over 
all  the  arts  and  power  of  vice. 

May  Heaven  long  preserve  a life  and  health  from  which  hu- 
man nature  has  received  so  much,  and  from  which  she  has  still 
so  much  to  hope  and  to  expect.  I am,  dear  sir,  with  increased 
veneration,  gratitude  and  respect,  your  faithful  servant  and  friend, 

John  Trumbull. 

Answer  of  Gen.  Washington. 

To  John  Trumbull,  Esq.,  London. 

Dear  Sir — Your  favor  of  the  18th  of  September  last,  with  the 
small  box  containing  four  pairs  of  the  prints,  came  safe  to  hand, 
but.  long  after  the  date  of  the  letter. 

Immediately  upon  the  receipt  of  these — having  forgotten  the 
terms  of  the  subscription,  and  not  knowing,  as  you  are  absent,  to 
whom  the  money  was  to  be  paid — I wrote  to  Gov.  Trumbull  for 
information  on  this  head,  without  obtaining  further  satisfaction 
than  that  he  thought  it  probable  that  Mr.  Anthony  of  Philadel- 
phia, was  authorized  by  you  to  receive  the  amount.  In  conse- 
quence, I addressed  this  gentleman,  (who  being  absent  from  that 
city,  as  he  said,  by  way  of  apology  for  the  delay  in  answering  my 
letter  in  a reasonable  time,)  and  shall  immediately  pay  what  is 
due  from  me  thereon. 


384 


APPENDIX. 


I give  you  the  trouble  of  this  detail,  because  I should  feel  un- 
pleasant myself,  if,  after  your  marked  politeness  and  attentions  to 
me  in  this,  as  in  every  other  transaction,  any  tardiness  should 
have  appeared  on  my  part,  in  return  for  prints  so  valuable. 

The  two  volumes  put  into  your  hands  by  Mr.  West  for  trans- 
mission to  me,  are  the  product  of  a Mr.  Uvedal  Price,  on  the  pic- 
turesque, accompanied  by  a very  polite  letter,  of  which  the  en- 
closed is  an  acknowledgment  to  that  gentleman,  recommended  to 
your  care,  with  my  best  respects  to  Mr.  West. 

I was  on  the  point  of  closing  this  letter,  with  my  thanks  for 
the  favorable  sentiments  you  have  been  pleased  to  express  for  me, 
and  adding  Mrs.  Washington’s  compliments  and  best  wishes 
thereto,  when  the  mail  from  Philadelphia  brought  your  interest- 
ing letter  of  the  24th  of  March. 

For  the  political  information  contained  in  it,  I feel  grateful,  as 
I always  shall  for  the  free  and  unreserved  communication  of  your 
sentiments,  upon  subjects  so  important  in  their  nature  and  ten- 
dency. No  well  informed  and  unprejudiced  man,  who  has 
viewed  with  attention  the  conduct  of  the  French  government 
since  the  revolution  in  that  country,  can  mistake  its  objects  or  the 
tendency  of  the  ambitious  plans  it  is  pursuing.  Yet,  strange  as 
it  may  seem,  a party,  and  a powerful  one  too,  among  us,  affect 
to  believe,  that  the  measures  of  it  are  dictated  by  a principle  of 
self-preservation ; that  the  outrages  of  which  the  directory  are 
guilty,  proceed  from  dire  necessity ; that  it  wishes  to  be  upon 
the  most  friendly  and  amicable  terms  with  the  United  States ; 
that  it  will  be  the  fault  of  the  latter  if  this  is  not  the  case  ; that 
the  defensive  measures  which  this  country  has  adopted,  are  not 
only  unnecessary  and  expensive,  but  have  a tendency  to  produce 
the  evil,  which  to  deprecate  is  mere  pretense,  because  war  with 
France,  they  say,  is  the  wish  of  this  government ; that  on  the 
militia  we  should  rest  our  security  ; and  that  it  is  time  enough  to 
call  upon  these,  when  the  danger  is  imminent,  &c.  &c. 

With  these  and  such  like  ideas,  attempted  to  be  inculcated 
upon  the  public  mind,  (and  prejudices  not  yet  eradicated,)  with 
all  the  arts  of  sophistry,  and  no  regard  to  truth,  decency,  or  re- 
spect to  characters,  public  or  private,  who  happen  to  differ  from 


APPENDIX. 


385 


themselves  on  politics,  I leave  you  to  decide  on  the  probability 
of  carrying  such  an  extensive  plan  of  offense  as  you  have  sugges- 
ted in  your  last  letter,  into  execution,  and  the  short  period  you 
suppose  may  be  allowed  to  accomplish  it  in. 

The  public  mind  has  changed,  and  is  changing  every  day  with 
respect  to  French  principles ; the  people  begin  to  see  clearly, 
that  the  words  and  actions  of  the  governing  power  of  that  nation 
cannot  be  reconciled,  and  that  hitherto  they  have  been  misled 
by  sounds  ; in  a word,  that  while  they  were  in  pursuit  of  the 
shadow,  they  have  lost  the  substance.  The  late  changes  in  the 
congressional  representation  sufficiently  evidence  this  opinion; 
of  the  two  sent  from  the  state  of  Georgia,  one  certain,  some  say 
both,  are  federal  characters  ; of  six  from  South  Carolina,  five  are 
decidedly  so  ; of  ten  from  North  Carolina,  seven  may  be  counted 
upon  ; and  of  nineteen  from  this  state,  (Virginia,)  eight  are  cer- 
tain, a ninth  doubtful,  and  but  for  some  gross  mismanagement, 
eleven  supporters  of  government  measures  would  have  been 
elected. 

I mention  these  facts  merely  to  show  that  we  are  progressing 
to  a better  state  of  things ; not  because  we  are  quite  right  yet. 
Time  I hope  will  show  us  the  necessity,  or  at  least  the  propriety 
of  becoming  so.  God  grant  it,  and  soon. 

It  is  unfortunate  when  men  cannot,  or  will  not  see  danger  at  a 
distance ; or  seeing  it,  are  restrained  in  the  means  which  are  ne- 
cessary to  avert,  or  to  keep  it  afar  off.  I question  whether  the 
evil  arising  from  the  French  getting  possession  of  Louisiana  and 
the  Floridas  would  be  generally  seen,  until  it  is  felt,  and  yet  no 
problem  in  Euclid  is  more  evident,  or  susceptible  of  clearer 
demonstration.  No  less  difficult  is  it  to  make  them  believe,  that 
offensive  operations,  oftentimes,  are  the  surest , if  not  (in  some 
cases)  the  only  means  of  defense. 

Mrs.  Washington  is  grateful  for  your  kind  remembrance  of  her, 
and  with  Mrs.  Lewis’s  (formerly  your  old  acquaintance,  Nelly 
Custis)  compliments  and  good  wishes  united,  I am,  with  senti- 
ments of  the  most  perfect  esteem  and  regard,  dear  sir,  &c.  &c. 

Geo.  Washington. 


49 


386 


APPENDIX. 


To  Gen.  Washington,  Philadelphia. 

London,  Oct.  6th,  1799. 

Sir — I had  the  honor  to  receive  your  favor  of  the  25th  of  June 
last,  some  weeks  ago.  I am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  what 
you  have  done  respecting  the  prints,  but  regret  that  you  should 
have  had  so  much  trouble  with  them. 

The  wonderful  events  of  this  campaign  in  Europe  have  en- 
tirely contradicted  my  speculations  of  last  spring,  and  have  at 
least  removed  to  a greater  distance,  the  dangers  which  I then  ap- 
prehended to  be  very  near ; but  wonderful  as  the  success  of  the 
allies  has  been,  I cannot  persuade  myself  that  it  is  yet  sufficiently 
complete  to  justify  us  in  believing  ourselves  to  be  secure  from 
France ; nor  indeed  does  it  appear  to  me,  that  we  should  be  se- 
cure even  if  the  fate  of  France  should  be  that  which  her  enemies 
would  wish,  and  the  ancient  government  were  re-established. 
Recent  events  give  us  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  human  char- 
acter is  changed  for  the  better,  or  that  the  possession  of  uncon- 
trolled power  and  the  intoxication  of  success,  will  not  produce 
their  ancient  and  natural  effect  on  every  human  bosom  ; and  our 
dangers  would  not  perhaps  be  diminished,  although  they  would 
assume  another  form,  by  the  complete  triumph  of  the  iron  systems, 
of  Russia  and  Germany. 

The  impossibility  of  carrying  into  immediate  or  speedy  effect, 
the  ideas  which  I took  the  liberty  of  detailing  to  you,  is  made 
manifest  by  the  state,  which  you  have  been  so  good  as  to  explain 
to  me,  of  public  opinion  and  parties.  But  if  my  general  idea  be 
correct ; if  America,  not  Europe,  ought,  as  appears  to  me,  to  be- 
come the  great  object  of  our  political  attention ; if  neighboring 
nations,  numerous,  rich,  and  ignorant,  may  be  converted  into 
powerful  friends  by  a wise  and  generous  policy  on  our  part,  or 
become  dangerous  instruments  of  the  intrigues  of  others,  I should 
hope  that  the  influence  of  those  who  can  see  danger  at  a dis- 
tance, would  not  fail  to  be  exerted  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the 
proper  direction  to  public  opinion,  and  that  it  would  gradually 
make  itself  be  felt.  But  these  speculations  are  very  vain  on  my 
part,  since  the  affairs  of  our  country  are  in  such  able  hands. 


APPENDIX. 


387 


I am  much  obliged  to  Mrs.  Washington,  and  Mrs  Lewis,  (who 
I hope  is  as  happy  in  her  new  state  as  she  deserves  to  be,)  for 
their  good  wishes  and  remembrance  of  me,  and  beg  them  to  ac- 
cept my  most  respectful  and  cordial  wishes  for  their  continued 
health  and  happiness  ; and  with  sentiments  of  the  highest  respect 
and  gratitude,  I have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  your  much  obliged  and 
obedient  servant,  John  Trumbull. 

It  is  probable  that  the  preceding  letter  never  reached  the  eye 
of  the  great  and  good  man  to  whom  it  was  addressed,  since  he 
died  early  in  the  following  month  of  December. 

The  actual  condition  of  those  countries,  Mexico  and  South 
America,  (perhaps  the  fairest  parts  of  the  globe,)  cannot  be  con- 
templated without  the  deepest  and  most  hopeless  regret.  Avail- 
ing themselves  of  the  distractions  and  calamities  of  the  parent 
countries,  brought  upon  them  by  the  restless  ambition  of  Napo- 
leon, the  people  of  those  American  colonies  threw  off  their  de- 
pendence upon  Europe,  and  guided  by  no  better  influence  than 
Jacobinical  principles  acting  on  ignorance  and  passionately  ardent 
minds,  they  rushed  into  the  vortex  of  revolution,  in  which  they 
have  been  struggling  nearly  forty  years,  almost  without  any  ap- 
proach to  tranquillity  and  good  order.  Party  has  succeeded  to 
party,  domination  to  domination,  butchery  to  murder,  until  the 
well  educated,  the  well  born,  the  virtuous,  and  well  disposed,  are 
almost  totally  exterminated,  and  society  is  brought  down  to  that 
state  of  equality,  which  some  people  blindly  regard  as  the  political 
millennium — the  miserable  equality  of  ignorance  and  savage  life, 
in  which  brute  strength  constitutes  the  sole  test  of  superiority, 
where  the  weak  obey  the  strong,  destitute  alike  of  the  protection 
of  law,  as  of  the  consolation  of  religion. 

New  Haven,  Feb.  15th,  1841. 

To  Jona.  Trumbull,  Esq. 

72  Welbeck  Street,  April  5th,  1799. 

Dear  Brother — I have  to  reply  to  your  several  favors  of  the 
30th  of  October,  20th  of  November,  20th  of  December  and  1st  of 
February,  the  last  three  of  which  came  to  hand  within  these  few 


388 


APPENDIX. 


weeks,  and  the  first  I believe,  since  I had  the  pleasure  of  writing 
to  you. 

I have  indeed  been  silent  much  longer  than  common,  but  you 
will  have  the  goodness  to  excuse  me,  and  to  accept  the  long  epis- 
tle which  I now  mean  to  write,  as  equivalent  to  the  two  or  three, 
which  you  ought  to  have  received. 

In  more  than  one  of  your  letters,  you  speak  of  the  improved 
state  of  the  public  opinion,  with  you,  in  respect  to  France ; and 
of  the  effect  produced  by  the  publication  of  the  dispatches  of  our 
ministers,  written  jointly,  as  well  as  Mr.  Gerry’s  subsequent  and 
solitary  nonsense. 

All  this,  you  appear,  as  well  as  we,  to  regard  as  sufficient,  to 
sicken  us  of  negotiations  with  such  a perfidious  and  impudent 
race  of  scoundrels.  With  such  sentiments,  I presume  that  the 
late  nominations,  first  of  Mr.  Murray,  and  afterwards  of  Mr.  Ells- 
worth, and  Patrick  Henry,  to  renew  the  miserable  scene  of  sup- 
plication, must  have  astonished  you,  as  it  did  every  American 
here.  We  indeed  are  thunderstruck,  after  all  the  president  has 
said , to  see  him  do  this. 

In  the  name  of  common  sense,  how  can  he  in  the  same  breath 
negotiate  with  Russia  and  the  Porte,  two  mortal  enemies  of 
France,  with  M.  Toussaint,  a rebel  subject  of  France,  and  with 
France  herself?  Is  not  each  of  the  four,  privileged  to  ask,  in  the 
first  step  of  the  negotiation,  “ Pray,  sir,  with  which  of  us  four  do 
“ you  mean  to  be  in  earnest  ? Which  of  us,  in  your  profound 
“ wisdom,  do  you  expect  to  dupe  ? You  cannot  be,  at  the  same 
“ time,  the  friends  of  us  all ; you  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon.” 
Must  we  not,  necessarily,  sink  in  the  estimation  of  all  the  four, 
and  be,  indeed,  disgraced  in  the  eyes  of  all  nations  ? I confess  I 
never  saw,  nor  heard,  nor  read  of  such  a wretched  scene  of  con- 
tradictory and  paltry  policy,  as  the  last  two  years  offer,  to  whoever 
considers  the  history  of  our  country  during  that  period. 

In  the  first  place,  one  minister  having  been  insulted  by  France, 
three  are  sent,  and  are  instructed  to  settle  the  existing  differences 
by  a treaty,  “ even  if  it  should  be  necessary  to  abandon,  altogether, 
“ our  claims  of  compensation,  for  the  spoliations  committed  upon 
“ our  commerce,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  enjoyments  of 


APPENDIX. 


389 


“ peace.”  Compare  this  meanness  with  the  instructions  given  to 
Mr.  Jay,  on  the  similar  point. 

In  the  second  place,  no  sooner  is  it  known  that  these  three  min- 
isters have  been  trifled  with,  than  the  first  magistrate  of  our  na- 
tion, in  his  answers  to  various  addresses,  stigmatizes  the  rulers  of 
France,  with  language  scarcely  excusable  by  any  possible  provo- 
cation, even  in  private  life,  and  surely  on  this  occasion  calculated 
only  to  excite,  in  the  minds  of  proud  men,  the  most  deadly  and 
inveterate  resentment ; language,  which  a very  common  degree 
of  experience  in  the  affairs  of  men,  would  forbid  any  one  to  use, 
until  he  was  fully  prepared  to  support  it  by  the  sword ; language 
which  ought  never  to  be  used  between  nations,  until  war  is  deter- 
mined upon,  and  even  then,  it  is  hardly  justifiable  or  decent. 

In  the  third  place,  words  like  these  having  been  used,  what  are 
our  deeds  ? A trifling  force  is  reluctantly  ordered  to  be  raised  ; 
but  after  six  months,  the  world  is  told,  by  the  same  first  magis- 
trate, that  this  force  is  not  raised,  “ because  there  has  been  a fever 
“ in  two  cities,  and  because  it  was  difficult  to  find  the  best  officers 
“ to  be  employed.” 

In  the  fourth  place,  while  the  enemy  which  has  so  long  and 
so  grossly  injured  and  insulted  us,  continues  to  injure  us,  by  the 
capture  and  condemnation  of  our  property  wherever  found,  and 
to  insult  us  by  pretenses  of  conciliatory  views,  while  no  one  edict 
of  insolent  and  wanton  injustice  is  repealed,  we,  upon  the  unoffi- 
cial suggestion  of  an  under  secretary  of  a minister  of  the  enemy 
at  a foreign  court,  to  our  minister  at  the  same,  gravely  appoint 
the  chief  justice  of  the  nation,  and  two  other  eminent  individuals, 
again  to  solicit  a reconciliation  with  that  power  ; a power  whose 
friendship  we  ought  to  know,  to  be  much  more  dangerous  to  us 
than  her  enmity ; a power,  which  knowing  well  the  palsy  which 
such  a step,  on  our  part,  must  strike  upon  every  measure  of  naval 
or  military  preparation,  will  smile  with  contempt  at  the  facility 
with  which  we  are  duped,  and  far  from  repairing  the  wrongs  she 
has  already  done,  will  feel  herself  solicited  by  this  new  mean- 
ness, to  load  us  with  new  insult  and  injury. 

And  fifthly,  while  we  are  guilty  of  this  meanness,  we  must 
consummate  the  extravagance  of  our  conduct,  by  proposing,  at 


390 


APPENDIX. 


the  same  moment,  to  treat  also  with  the  foreign  and  sworn  ene- 
mies, as  well  as  with  the  rebel  subjects  of  the  same  power. 

I thought  there  had  remained  among  us  some  traces  of  com- 
mon sense,  which  would  have  enabled  us  to  profit  by  the  melan- 
choly lessons  taught  by  the  experience  of  so  many  ruined  nations. 
But  no — Europe,  from  all  the  scenes  of  folly  and  infatuation 
which  have  led  her  to  the  brink  of  destruction,  can  produce  noth- 
ing more  wild,  more  strange,  more  incoherent  and  contradictory 
than  all  this ; and  it  is  only  the  interposition  of  Heaven,  that  can 
save  us  from  the  baneful  but  natural  consequences  of  persisting 
in  such  strange  and  incomprehensible  policy. 

What  have  we  to  do  with  Europe,  the  whole  of  which  is 
rotten  to  the  heart  and  hastening  to  dissolution  ? We  have  not 
here  one  friend,  who  possesses  the  cordial  wish  or  the  power  to 
protect  us  ; but  combined,  as  we  ought  to  be,  with  neighboring 
empires,  united  America  might  defy  the  power  of  united  Europe, 
and  the  new  world  might  set  bounds  to  the  corruptions  and 
crimes  of  the  old ! 

In  several  of  my  letters,  for  more  than  a year  past,  to  you  and 
others,  I have  glanced  at  this  subject.  I did  not  enlarge  upon  it, 
because  it  appeared  to  me  so  obvious ; I thought  it  must  neces- 
sarily strike  the  minds  of  all  reflecting  men,  and  because  I knew 
that  it  had  been  directly  suggested,  and  even  dwelt  upon,  by 
those  here,  upon  whose  wisdom  more  reliance  must  necessarily 
be  placed  than  upon  mine. 

But  it  has  now  become  the  duty  of  every  man  to  contribute 
his  mite,  however  small,  to  the  salvation  of  his  country ; to  exert 
his  strength,  however  feeble,  to  assist  in  stemming  a fatal  cur- 
rent, which  hurries  us  among  sands  and  whirlpools  ; and  unim- 
portant as  I am,  I must  therefore  beg  your  attention  to  what  I 
think  the  most  imminent  dangers  which  threaten  us,  and  what, 
the  only  wise  and  safe  course  by  which,  it  appears  to  me,  they 
can  be  avoided. 

It  is  but  a few  months,  since  Portugal  was  threatened  with  the 
immediate  vengeance  of  the  French  republic  ; preparations  were 
made  for  invading  the  country ; a passage  for  troops  was  de- 
manded from  Spain,  and  the  establishment  of  the  Iberian  repub- 


APPENDIX. 


391 


lie,  upon  the  ruins  of  those  two  kingdoms,  seemed  inevitable  and 
at  hand ; but  when  the  affairs  of  the  north  and  east  again  as- 
sumed a threatening  aspect,  the  execution  of  this  plan  was  defer- 
red, and  France  accepted  from  the  two  devoted  nations  a consid- 
erable sum  of  money,  as  the  price  of  another  year’s  existence. 

Hostilities  have  recommenced  on  the  frontiers  of  Switzerland 
with  doubtful  success ; but  the  activity  of  the  one  party,  who 
always  attack,  and  the  slow  movements  and  incorrigible  error  of 
the  other,  in  always  acting  on  the  defensive  and  in  detachments, 
leave  us  but  too  much  reason  to  apprehend  a new  series  of  dis- 
asters. 

With  a dexterity,  in  comparison  with  which  all  other  nations 
are  bunglers,  France  has  seized  this  moment  to  publish  enough 
of  the  secret  conditions  of  the  treaty  of  Campo  Formio,  to  demon- 
strate to  the  world,  that  the  conduct  of  the  emperor  on  that  occa- 
sion was  equally  flagitious  as  hers,  and  that  she  is  no  longer 
entitled  to  the  palm  of  perfidy  and  baseness ; a step,  admirably 
calculated  to  increase  the  want  of  confidence  among  her  enemies ; 
in  truth,  distracted  as  they  are,  by  mutual  and  too  well  grounded 
jealousies,  and  depressed  by  the  memory  of  repeated  ill  success, 
what  have  they  to  expect  from  a new  struggle  with  an  enemy 
superior  to  them  in  union,  in  military  talent,  and  in  political  ad- 
dress, but  repeated  misfortune  ? 

These  reflections  lead  me  to  fear,  that  the  next  winter  will  see 
France  again  triumphant,  and  more  tremendous  than  ever. 
Should  such  be  the  event  of  the  campaign,  she  will  then  be  at 
leisure  to  attend  to  Spain  and  Portugal ; and  so  thoroughly  are 
those  countries  prepared , that  their  fate  will  be  as  sudden,  and 
attended  with  as  weak  a struggle,  as  those  of  Sardinia,  Naples, 
Switzerland  and  Venice.  The  subversion  of  these  thrones  will 
require  little  more  time  than  is  necessary  for  the  march  of  an  un- 
interrupted army;  and  the  government  of  the  new  republic 
being  organized,  hosts  of  hungry,  supernumerary  Jacobins, 
(French  and  Iberian,)  will  hasten  to  secure  the  rich  dependencies 
of  America. 

Two  years  ago  the  best  politicians  of  France  regarded  the 
possession  of  Louisiana  and  the  Floridas  as  sufficient  to  hold  the 


392 


APPENDIX. 


Spanish  colonies  in  check,  “ and  to  influence  the  affairs  of  the 
“ United  States  but  with  their  unexampled  success,  their  ambi- 
tious views  have  extended,  and  when  Spain  and  Portugal  shall 
have  been  revolutionized,  where  will  be  the  difficulty  of  diffu- 
sing the  same  principles  and  influence  over  all  the  American  pos- 
sessions of  those  powers  ? — countries  where  oppression  has  long 
since  prepared  the  minds  of  men  for  change,  where  liberty  and 
independence  are  the  object  of  the  wishes  of  all  who  think,  and 
where  those  who  shall  first  offer  those  blessings  will  be  received 
with  transport. 

What  then  will  be  the  situation  of  the  United  States,  when 
they  shall  have  fifteen  millions  of  Jacobins  at  their  doors,  inti- 
mately connected  with,  and  disposable  by,  that  power  whom  we 
have  exasperated  beyond  the  possibility  of  forgiveness,  by  the 
disclosure  of  their  infamous  personal  corruption  and  base  princi- 
ples of  negotiation,  as  well  as  by  the  subsequent  addresses  and 
answers  ? Shall  we  then  rely  upon  our  distance  from  the  dan- 
ger, or  upon  the  protecting  vigilance  of  foreign  nations  ? Or 
will  the  infant  state  of  our  own  navy  be  sufficient  to  secure  us  ? 

I may  seem  to  exaggerate  this  danger,  and  those  objects  may 
appear  too  vast  to  be  brought  into  operation  with  such  rapidity  ; 
but  what  miracles  have  we  not  witnessed  within  the  last  five 
years  ? And  what  is  there  so  vast,  as  not  to  be  feared  from  men, 
in  whom  infinite  industry,  activity,  talents  and  ambition,  are 
allied  with  principles  which  give  them  friends  in  the  bosom  of 
every  country ; and  who  are  cordially  seconded  by  all  the  des- 
peradoes, all  the  profligate,  and  all  the  idle  poor  of  every  nation  ? 

Such  is  my  estimation  of  the  extent  and  imminence  of  our 
danger  from  that  quarter.  To  avert  it,  it  would  be  criminal,  nay 
impious,  to  rely  supinely  upon  the  goodness  of  Providence ; and 
foolish  in  the  extreme  will  it  be,  to  rely  upon  the  friendship  and 
power  of  Europe.  Friends,  I repeat  it,  we  have  none  here,  and 
if  we  had,  the  power  of  Europe  is  scarcely  sufficient  to  its  own 
preservation. 

Against  this  danger  I see  not  how  we  are  to  be  protected,  but  by 
anticipating  the  designs  of  the  enemy ; the  emancipation  of  our 
southern  neighbors,  both  in  North  and  South  America,  the  estab- 


APPENDIX. 


393 


lishment  in  those  countries,  of  wise  and  just  governments,  upon 
the  principles  of  rational  liberty,  the  diffusion  of  knowledge 
among  those  people,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  friendship  and 
affection  of  those  with  whom  Providence  has  destined  us  to  be 
necessarily  and  intimately  connected,  either  as  friends  or  foes ; 
these  are  objects,  which  if  immediately  and  vigorously  pursued, 
it  does  appear  to  me,  would  lead  our  country  rapidly  to  a degree 
of  solid  power  and  honest  fame,  alike  superior  to  danger  and  to 
reproach.  If  commerce  and  wealth  are  the  objects  of  our  wish, 
there  they  are  at  our  door ; if  maritime  power,  there  are  the  vast 
materials  which  court  the  combining  hand ; or  if  safety  and 
peace  be  our  humble  ambition,  America  thus  united,  by  mutual 
good  offices,  by  common  interest,  and  similar  principles  of  gov- 
ernment, might  even  now  defy  the  power  of  the  world. 

I may  be  told,  that  it  would  be  imprudent  in  us  to  aid  in  the 
establishment  of  empires,  which  may  soon  become  our  rivals  or 
our  enemies ; it  is  true  they  may  become  our  enemies,  even  if  we 
aid  them,  but  if  we  do  not,  and  the  work  be  left  to  France,  they 
must  become  so.  A revolution  in  those  countries  must  very 
soon  take  place ; the  seeds  are  sown,  and  the  fruit  will  inevitably 
ripen  ; and  if  that  revolution  be  conducted  on  Jacobin  principles, 
those  vast  countries,  drenched  in  blood,  the  blood  of  all  that  they 
contain  of  rich,  or  eminent,  or  virtuous,  will,  with  all  their  wealth, 
become  irresistible  instruments  in  the  hands  of  France,  of  spread- 
ing desolation  and  tyranny  over  the  remainder  of  the  earth  ; and 
we,  who  are  nearest,  shall  sink,  most  irrecoverably,  under  such 
an  accumulated  weight  of  power. 

But  if  we  have  wisdom  and  energy  to  leave  those  pitiful  plans 
of  European  connection,  to  which  we  seem  to  be  so  warmly  at- 
tached ; to  abandon  that  miserable,  temporizing,  and  defensive 
system,  which  has  uniformly  proved  fatal  to  every  nation  which 
has  adopted  it  during  the  present  contest,  and  to  anticipate  and 
meet  boldly  the  plans  of  the  enemy,  we  instantly  deprive  him  of 
the  immense  resources  which  he  even  now  derives  from  that 
quarter,  through  the  medium  of  Spanish  and  Portuguese  contri- 
butions ; we  secure  ourselves  from  the  most  serious  and  imminent 
danger  to  which  we  are  exposed ; we  establish  the  glory  of  our 

50 


394 


APPENDIX. 


country,  with  its  security  ; we  add  to  our  commercial  resources 
and  maritime  power  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  future  prosperity 
and  greatness ; and  we  give  to  liberty,  real  and  rational  liberty, 
a secure  and  wide  asylum,  where  men,  unpolluted  by  the  bloody 
crimes,  the  base  corruption,  and  the  shameless  profligacy  of  Eu- 
rope, may  rest  in  peace. 

With  such  scenes  of  safety  and  glory  within  our  view,  and 
waiting  only  our  fiat  to  be  realized,  is  it  not  mortifying  to  see  our 
rulers  soliciting,  not  accepting,  a commercial  treaty  with  one  na- 
tion, whose  flag  we  never  saw,  for  the  sake  of  a few  cargoes  of 
hemp  and  iron,  which  are  to  be  sought  in  ports  inaccessible  during 
half  the  year  ! — with  another,  for  the  feeble  chance  of  our  share 
in  a commerce  where  we  shall  have  for  competitors  the  most  ac- 
tive and  industrious  nations  of  Europe,  living  at  the  very  door  of 
the  market,  and  in  the  prosecution  of  which  our  ships  must  con- 
tinually run  the  gauntlet  of  all  those  civilized  and  barbarian  ene- 
mies who  inhabit  both  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  even 
forming  connections  with  licentious  negroes,  the  early  fruit  of 
which  will  probably  be  insurrection  and  revolt  among  our  own  ! 

But  you  will  ask  me,  what  are  the  means  by  which  I expect  to 
accomplish  my  great  design  in  the  south  ? The  same  means 
which  France  has  used  with  such  unvaried,  irresistible  success. 
I would  turn  against  her  not  only  her  own  plans,  but  her  own 
weapons.  The  world  bows  not  before  her  steel,  but  to  the  charm 
of  a word,  a sacred  word,  which  she  has  profaned  and  abused  to 
the  purposes  of  a bloody  ambition,  but  which  we,  who  know  its 
meaning,  ought  to  employ  with  reverence *and  justice,  to  promote 
the  extension,  not  of  our  own  dominion,  but  of  human  happiness. 
The  word  liberty  is  dear  to  every  human  being,  and  he  who  offers 
its  enjoyments  to  the  oppressed,  is  certain  of  being  received  and 
listened  to  with  enthusiasm. 

Relying  on  this  principle  of  the  human  heart  to  secure  me  the 
good  will  and  the  affections  of  the  mass  of  the  country,  I should 
have  nothing  to  oppose  by  force  but  the  feeble  garrisons  which 
Spain  has  upon  the  coast ; these  are  too  weak  to  venture  out  of 
their  fortifications,  and  I should  by  no  means  think  of  besieging 
them.  A military  force  of  not  more  than  ten  thousand  men,  well 


APPENDIX. 


395 


commanded,  well  disciplined,  kept  compact,  and  posted  immedi- 
ately in  a fertile  and  healthy  part  of  the  country,  from  whence 
they  could  overawe  the  garrisons,  and  protect  the  assembling  of 
the  conventions  of  Mexico  and  Peru,  is  all  that  is  wanted.  A 
naval  force  must  co-operate  with  these,  sufficiently  strong  to  check 
any  thing  which  Spain  has  in  those  seas,  and  to  prevent  the  ar- 
rival of  reinforcements  from  Europe.  This  force,  considering  the 
actual  force  of  the  Spanish  fleets  and  armies,  need  not  be  great  ; 
but  if  our  own  little  fleet  should  be  thought  inadequate  to  the  ob- 
ject, we  have  only  to  ask  the  co-operation  of  a squadron  from  this 
country,  and  it  will  be  granted  at  once,  and  placed  at  our  disposal, 
to  any  extent  of  force,  and  for  any  length  of  time  which  we  may 
think  necessary  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  object : (for  Eng- 
land, seeing  herself  abandoned  by  so  many  of  her  continental 
friends,  and  the  fidelity  or  even  existence  of  the  remainder  so  in- 
secure,— shut  out  from  every  port  in  Europe,  from  Sicily  to  Co- 
penhagen, except  two,  Lisbon  and  Hamburg,  and  these  at  the 
mercy  of  the  enemy — looks  with  anxiety  to  other  markets  and 
other  sources  of  wealth,  to  supply  the  loss  with  which  she  is 
threatened  here  ; and  knowing  well  the  vast  importance  of  the  six 
millions  of  customers  she  has  in  the  United  States,  already  calcu- 
lates the  true  value  of  fifteen  additional  millions,  possessing  coun- 
tries rich  in  the  precious  metals  and  in  every  raw  material  which 
is  necessary  to  her  manufactures.)  The  garrisons  being  thus  held 
in  check,  and  the  possibility  of  interference  on  the  part  of  the 
mother  country  prevented,  let  a convention  of  the  principal  people 
of  the  country  be  assembled,  and  then,  instead  of  opposing  and 
violating  the  prejudices  of  men,  and  thereby  drowning  their  coun- 
try in  blood,  consent  and  accommodate  yourself  to  them,  and 
preserve  religion  and  nobility  in  possession  of  their  several  rights, 
except,  in  so  far  as  they  might  be  found  to  interfere  with  the  ra- 
tional liberty  of  the  mass  of  the  people.  I would  then  propose 
two  constitutions  (for  Mexico  and  Peru)  similar  to  the  purity  of 
the  British.  I would  seek  for  the  blood  of  the  Incas  and  of  Mon- 
tezuma, and  place  their  descendants  again  on  thrones,  not  abso- 
lute, like  those  of  their  ancestors,  but  limited  to  the  sanction  and 
execution  of  the  laws.  I would  propose  a legislature,  to  consist 


396 


APPENDIX. 


of  a house  of  peers,  elective  by  the  nobility  and  clergy,  from 
among  their  own  orders,  either  for  life  or  for  a considerable  num- 
ber of  years ; and  a house  of  representatives  on  the  plan  of  our 
own,  into  which  no  member  of  the  nobility  or  clergy  could  either 
elect,  or  be  elected.  The  concurrence  of  these  two  bodies 
should  be  necessary  to  the  first  formation  of  laws,  and  the  king 
should  have  the  right  to  negative  these,  in  at  least  as  extensive 
a manner  as  our  president  has.  I would  then  leave  assemblies 
thus  constituted,  to  avail  themselves  of  their  own  local  knowledge, 
and  of  the  wisdom  of  their  neighbors  and  of  other  nations,  in 
framing  such  laws  as  should  appear  to  them  best  calculated  to 
promote  the  happiness  of  the  various  classes  of  their  constituents. 

The  naval  and  military  co-operation  must  be  supported  until 
these  governments  should  be  established  and  brought  into  action, 
and  until  a military  force  could  be  formed,  armed  and  disciplined 
in  the  country,  adequate  to  its  own  defense.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  garrisons  on  the  coast,  destitute  of  supplies  from  abroad  or 
from  the  country,  would  fall,  of  course,  without  bloodshed,  and 
should  be  replaced  by  native  troops.  No  officer  or  man  in  the 
service  (civil  or  military)  of  Spain,  should  suffer  in  his  person  or 
property,  so  far  as  was  to  be  avoided ; but  those  who  should  choose 
to  quit  the  country,  should  be  permitted  to  do  it,  with  all  their 
property ; and  if  any  preferred  to  remain  and  take  the  future 
chance  of  the  new  order  of  things,  they  also  should  have  leave. 
The  establishment  of  schools,  upon  the  New  England  plan, 
should  be  a primary  object  of  attention. 

A union  between  the  United  States  and  these  new  empires 
should  be  formed  on  the  most  intimate  and  liberal  principles; 
perhaps  the  following  would  be  proper  generally : Every  free 
man,  born  on  the  continent  of  America,  should,  by  a year’s  resi- 
dence, become  naturalized  in  whatever  part  of  the  country  he 
should  see  fit  to  establish  himself.  The  ships  of  the  southern  em- 
pires should  be  admitted  into  our  ports  on  the  same  terms  as  our 
own,  and  reciprocally.  Articles  produced  or  manufactured  in 
their  countries  and  imported  into  ours,  should  be  subject  to  much 
lower  duties  than  the  same  articles  produced  in  and  imported 
from  any  other  country,  and  reciprocally.  An  intimate  connec- 


APPENDIX. 


397 


tion  should  be  established  between  the  banks  of  Peru  and  Mexico, 
and  that  of  the  United  States.  The  several  countries  should  mu- 
tually apprehend  and  give  up  all  criminals,  flying  from  the  justice 
of  each  other;  and  in  case  of  invasion  or  insurrection,  should 
assist  each  other,  with  all  their  forces. 

Such  are  the  outlines  of  a plan,  in  perfecting  and  filling  up 
which,  there  would  be  ample  room  for  the  political  knowledge 
of  Adams,  the  sober  wisdom  of  Washington,  the  military  activity 
and  financial  talents  of  Hamilton,  to  immortalize  themselves. 
The  prosecution  of  it  would  give  immediate  occupation  to  that 
army,  whose  idleness  will  very  soon  become  a subject  of  popular 
complaint  and  declamation  ; would  employ  all  your  ardent,  trou- 
blesome spirits ; would  occupy  the  public  mind,  and  charm  all 
classes  of  society  into  union ; would  astonish  your  enemies  and 
the  world,  and  would  accomplish  the  most  splendid  and  glorious 
object  that  ever  occupied  the  view  of  mankind,  with  a facility 
and  celerity,  equal  to  the  vastness  of  the  benefits  which  must 
necessarily  result  from  it. 

And  let  no  man  startle  at  the  magnitude  of  the  object ; this  is 
no  time  for  common  policy  and  temporizing  measures ; the  dan- 
ger is  imminent ; the  plans  of  the  enemy  are  vast  as  the  world, 
and  we  must  oppose  to  them  a policy  equally  great,  activity 
equally  indefatigable,  and  courage  equally  ardent ; these,  hon- 
estly and  earnestly  exerted  in  the  cause  of  real  liberty  and  virtue, 
will  triumph  over  all  the  arts  and  the  power  of  vice. 

I have  written  to  Gen.  Washington  a letter  somewhat  similar 
to  this,  and  I will  be  obliged  to  you  to  communicate  this  to  him, 
to  Messrs.  Ellsworth,  Wadsworth,  Gen.  J.  Huntington,  and  other 
friends,  particularly  to  Wolcott,  if  he  should  be  in  your  quarter 
during  the  summer. 

I may  be  enthusiastic  and  full  of  error,  but,  living  as  I do, 
amidst  the  wreck  of  nations,  an  eye-witness  of  the  boundless  and 
flagitious,  but  successful  ambition  of  France,  and  of  the  perfidy, 
the  mutual  jealousy,  the  distraction,  and  the  weakness  of  the 
rest  of  Europe,  I look  with  increasing  anxiety  to  my  country, 
when  I see  her  supinely  trusting  to  the  power  of  Europe  and  the 
weakness  of  France,  and  pursuing  the  same  little,  temporizing 


398 


APPENDIX. 


and  defensive  policy,  which  has  led  so  many  nations  to  succes- 
sive ruin;  and  weak  as  my  advice  or  my  warning  may  be  es- 
teemed by  my  countrymen,  I cannot  forbear  to  do  what  I think 
to  be  my  duty,  by  urging  upon  their  minds  those  dangers,  and 
that  conduct,  which  appear  to  me  to  demand  their  instant  and 
unremitted  attention. 

The  renewed  confusions  of  Europe  secure  to  you  one  precious 
year  of  tranquillity.  I pray  Heaven  that  this  little  time  may  be 
employed  with  an  energy  and  effect,  suited  to  its  incalculable 
importance.  With  affectionate  solicitude,  I am,  &c. 

To  John  Trumbull,  London. 

Yianen,  near  Utrecht,  Sept.  23d,  1799. 

My  Dear  Sir — As  I understand  that  you  are  still  in  a public 
business  in  England,  I can  depend  on  your  receiving,  still  more 
sure  am  I of  your  welcoming,  this  letter  of  an  old  friend.  It 
would  be  to  me  a heartfelt  satisfaction,  personally  to  acknowl- 
edge your  kind  concern  in  my  behalf  during  my  confinement, 
and  to  gratify  the  desire  I have  had  since  my  release,  to  meet 
you  on  American  ground;  but  the  time  of  your  departure  is  un- 
certain, nor  do  I know  myself  when  I am  to  embark,  although  I 
think  it  may  be  soon.  In  the  mean  while,  my  dear  sir,  I shall 
be  happy  to  hear  from  you,  and  wish  you  to  visit  some  of  the 
few  parts  of  Europe  which  are  not  to  me  uninhabitable. 

Hitherto  I find  in  this  commonwealth  a safe  and  pleasant 
abode.  News  of  war  is  coming  from  the  northward,  but  does 
not  in  any  manner  disturb  the  interior  tranquillity.  My  wife  and 
younger  daughter  are  in  France.  Here  I have  with  me  my  son, 
elder  daughter,  her  husband  and  child.  It  was  the  family  plan 
to  meet  at  this  place  in  October ; I think  it  will  be  the  case, 
and  about  that  time  I am  to  receive  answers  from  Gen.  Wash- 
ington and  other  friends.  As  to  the  situation  of  affairs  in  my 
native  country,  you  know  by  the  newspapers,  so  far  as  I could 
trust  to  the  German  and  English  post-offices.  My  letters  from 
France,  and  those  from  America,  make  me  hope  for  a speedy 
reconciliation.  How  deeply  I have  been  affected  by  the  un- 
happy quarrel,  how  ardently  I wish  to  see  it  terminated  in  a way 


APPENDIX. 


399 


satisfactory  to  wounded  justice,  and  equally  honorable  to  both 
nations,  you  may  better  feel,  than  I could  find  adequate  words  to 
express  it. 

What  news  have  you  of  your  family,  and  all  friends  in  that 
dear  and  blessed  country  ? My  intelligences  are  of  an  old  date. 
It  has  long  ago  pleased  the  British  government  to  suppose,  by  a 
political  fiction,  that  all  the  ports  of  this  good  republic  were  in  a 
state  of  blockade,  and  you  know  to  what  pillages  at  sea  Amer- 
ican vessels  are  exposed.  A letter  from  Hamilton  informs  me 
that  in  June  last,  he,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Church,  and  both  families 
were  well ; letters  from  Mount  Vernon  and  other  places  are  much 
older ; every  account  of  them  you  can  give  me  will  be  very 
thankfully  received. 

I am  happy  to  find  in  the  papers  that  the  rage  of  the  yellow 
fever  has  subsided  ; may  it  also  be  the  case  with  the  rage  of  par- 
ties, which  has  gone  far  beyond  what  is  necessary,  and  in  a mod- 
erate degree  becomes  wholesome  to  a free  country.  It  has  been 
painful  to  me  on  my  emerging  from  prison,  to  see  how  much 
abuse  were  pouring  on  each  other,  men  of  whose  friendly  and 
political  intimacy  I had  been  a witness  and  a hearty  partaker. 

In  vain  have  I endeavored,  my  dear  sir,  to  have  a sight  of  your 
fine  prints ; they  are  not  to  be  found  in  this  country.  The  pic- 
tures I have  seen  are  Yorktown  and  Gibraltar.  I knew  you  had 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  Saratoga  and  Princeton  ; Bun- 
ker’s Hill,  also.  Did  you  not  intend  to  make  Monmouth  ? I 
much  wish  it,  because  in  that  battle,  where  Gen.  Greene  com- 
manded the  right  wing,  Lord  Stirling  the  left,  while  I had  the 
second  line,  and  where  Gen.  Washington  was  surrounded  by  his 
family,  I could  see  several  portraits  very  precious  to  me  ; there  I 
would  also  hope  to  find  Gen.  Knox,  who  commanded  the  artil- 
lery. Have  you  chosen  the  ground  where  Gen.  Washington 
came  up  to  the  retreating  vanguard,  and  while  Gen.  Lee  was 
sent  off,  honored  me  with  the  care  to  support  the  attack,  until 
the  army  was  formed  ? or  the  rising  ground  where  the  cannonade 
between  the  two  armies  took  place,  and  when  the  general  offi- 
cers and  aids-du-camp  were  about  the  commander-in-chief?  or 
what  other  time  and  place  of  that  action  have  you  preferred  ? 


400 


APPENDIX. 


What  are  the  other  performances  which  complete  the  collection  ? 
Wherever  my  definitive  home  is  fixed,  your  works  shall  be  the 
first,  or,  according  to  circumstances,  the  only  ornament  of  my 
dwelling. 

Be  pleased,  my  dear  sir,  when  you  write  to  your  family,  to 
Col.  Wadsworth,  and  other  friends  of  ours,  to  mention  me  very 
affectionately  to  them.  I beg  the  same  favor  with  respect  to  Mr. 
King,  for  whom  I have  every  sentiment  of  regard,  attachment, 
and  gratitude.  My  most  friendly  compliments  wait  also  on  Mr. 
Williams,  whose  kindness  to  me  I highly  value,  and  have  hap- 
pily experienced.  Adieu,  my  dear  sir.  I am,  with  all  my  heart, 
your  sincere  friend,  La  Fayette. 

To  which  the  following  was  my  reply. 

To  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette,  Vianen,  near  Utrecht,  Holland. 

72  Welbeck  street,  London,  Nov.  25th,  1799. 

Dear  Sir — Your  letter  of  the  23d  of  September,  which  has 
but  lately  reached  my  hands,  affords  me  sincere  pleasure.  The 
deep  and  aggravated  share  in  the  general  mass  of  calamity  which 
you  have  had  to  support  during  several  years,  has  interested  me 
sincerely  ; and  it  would  at  all  times  have  given  me  the  most 
heartfelt  satisfaction,  to  have  been  able  to  contribute  in  any  way 
to  alleviate  the  unmerited  sufferings  of  one,  for  whom  I enter- 
tained so  high  a respect. 

You  kindly  inquire  about  my  works.  The  state  of  Europe 
and  the  world  has  for  many  years  been  peculiarly  unfavorable  to 
the  arts. 

My  plan  bore  too  near  an  affinity  to  the  passing  scenes,  not  to 
be  offensive  to  the  majority  of  Europe  ; and  those  to  whom  I 
might  presume  to  expect  that  it  would  have  been  agreeable,  by 
the  unaccountable  turn  of  political  opinions,  became  equally  hos- 
tile to  the  men  and  to  the  events  which  formed  my  subject ; 
while  my  native  country,  pillaged  on  all  sides,  is  no  longer  in 
that  state  of  easy  and  affluent  tranquillity,  which  is  so  indispen- 
sably requisite  to  the  prosperity  of  the  fine  arts.  I persevere, 
however,  in  collecting  materials  and  in  advancing  several  com- 


APPENDIX. 


401 


positions  so  long  as  there  remained  such  a probability  of  success, 
as  could  justify  the  sacrifice  of  the  time  and  attention  which 
were  necessary  for  the  completion  of  the  work,  and  I saw  accom- 
plished the  engraving  and  publishing  of  two  expensive  plates. 

But,  convinced  at  length,  that  I was  sacrificing  the  most  pre- 
cious part  of  my  life,  I have  for  several  years  given  all  my  atten- 
tion to  other  objects ; if  different  prospects  should  hereafter  open, 
I may  perhaps  wish  to  resume  the  work,  although  I very  much 
doubt  whether  I shall  ever  resume  sufficient  courage. 

I regret  with  you,  my  dear  sir,  those  paltry  jealousies  and  little 
dissensions  which  have  so  unhappily  embarrassed  the  policy  of  a 
people  who  were  once  the  most  united,  and  alienated  the  friend- 
ship of  men  whom  we  know  to  be  the  most  respectable.  But  I 
hope  the  period  of  infatuation  is  almost  passed,  and  I do  not  de- 
spair of  soon  seeing  all  parties  unite  in  the  manly  and  national 
principle  of  opposing  impartially  a firm  resistance  to  every  insult 
and  aggression.  Distant  as  we  are  from  Europe,  possessing  the 
basis  of  a power  on  the  ocean  second  to  but  one  nation,  and  the 
commerce  of  all  passing  necessarily  and  perpetually  within  our 
grasp,  I do  not  think  we  can  remain  much  longer  under  the  vex- 
ations which  all  parties  have  for  some  years  heaped  upon  us ; 
the  ancient  spirit  will  at  length  be  roused,  and  Europe  may  learn 
to  respect,  when  armed,  the  people,  whose  pacific  conduct  has 
hitherto  produced  only  insult  and  contempt. 

It  may  be  satisfactory  to  you  to  know  a fact  on  this  subject, 
which  perhaps  has  never  come  within  your  notice.  The  naval 
power  of  a nation  may  fairly  be  estimated  by  the  amount  of  the 
tonnage  of  its  ships,  since  every  ton  employs  its  proportion  of 
human  force,  and  seamen  are  the  soul  of  maritime  power.  Eng- 
land had  last  year,  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  tons,  and 
it  is  ascertained  by  official  returns,  that  the  United  States  at  the 
same  time  had  nine  hundred  thousand,  an  amount  exceeding  any 
nation  upon  earth  except  England,  and  equal  to  England  herself 
only  ten  years  ago. 

I shall  be  happy  to  see  a good  understanding  take  place  be- 
tween the  two  nations,  because  I think  it  for  their  mutual  inter- 
est ; but  I neither  expect  nor  wish  the  friendship  of  any.  That 

51 


402 


APPENDIX. 


word  has  but  little  meaning  when  applied  to  individuals  ; none 
when  used  in  reference  to  nations.  My  earnest  desire  is,  to  see 
my  native  country  firmly  united  under  the  guidance  of  such  pat- 
riots as  we  have  had  the  happiness  to  know  there,  conscious  of, 
and  wisely  employing  the  power  which  she  derives  from  reputa- 
tion, character,  and  local  position,  in  the  pursuit,  and  whenever 
necessary,  in  the  energetic  protection  and  defense  of  that  just  and 
pacific  policy  which  is  the  surest  basis  of  national  happiness. 

General  Washington,  whose  latest  letter  to  me  was  written  in 
July,  was  then  very  well.  My  brother,  whom  you  so  kindly  en- 
quired after,  has,  for  some  time,  been  governor  of  his  little  happy  na- 
tive state,  and  enjoys  excellent  health.  Col.  Wadsworth  has  been 
ill  lately,  but  was  recovering.  I shall  obey  you  in  my  next  letters 
to  them,  and  am  sure  that  they  will  rejoice  to  hear  from  you. 

I beg  to  be  remembered  respectfully  to  Madame  de  La  Fayette, 
who,  with  the  rest  of  your  family,  I hope  enjoys  perfect  health. 
With  great  esteem  and  respect,  I am,  dear  sir,  your  much  obliged 
and  faithful  servant  and  friend,  John  Trumbull. 

To  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette. 

New  York,  Oct.  20th,  1823. 

Dear  Sir — I have  sent  to  the  care  of  Wells,  Williams  & Co., 
bankers  in  Paris,  who  will  forward  it  to  you,  a small  case  con- 
taining a proof  impression,  aoant  la  lettre , of  a print  which  has 
been  engraved  here  from  my  painting  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, by  a young  engraver  born  in  this  vicinity,  and  now 
only  twenty  six  years  old.  This  work  is  wholly  American,  even 
to  the  paper  and  printing — a circumstance  which  renders  it  pop- 
ular here,  and  will  make  it  a curiosity  to  you,  who  knew  Amer- 
ica when  she  had  neither  painters  nor  engravers,  nor  arts  of  any 
kind,  except  those  of  stern  utility.  I beg  you  to  accept  this 
print  as  a testimony  of  my  respects,  and  I trust  it  will  call  to 
your  recollection,  many  of  those  good  and  eminent  men  whom 
you  knew  in  the  early  days  of  your  acquaintance  with  this 
country. 

I have  finished  for  the  nation  a painting  of  this  subject,  on  a 
surface  twelve  feet  by  eighteen,  in  which  the  figures  are  large  as 


APPENDIX. 


403 


life.  The  Surrender  of  Burgoyne— -the  same  size ; the  Surrender 
of  Cornwallis,  in  which  are  portraits  of  yourself  and  of  the  prin- 
cipal French  officers  who  were  present  on  that  great  occasion, 
copied  from  the  small  picture  which  you  saw  me  employed  upon 
in  Paris,  1789.  I am  now  far  advanced  in  a fourth  picture, 
which  is  to  represent  Gen.  Washington  resigning  his  commission 
to  the  congress  of  Annapolis,  in  1783.  These  four  paintings  are 
to  be  placed  in  the  grand  central  apartment  of  the  Capitol,  which 
is  a circle  of  one  hundred  feet  diameter,  with  a dome  roof  of  the 
same  height,  and  lighted  from  the  center  of  the  dome. 

Knowing  the  deep  interest  which  you  feel  in  all  that  concerns 
this  country,  I cannot  forbear  mentioning  that  the  canal  which 
has  been  undertaken  by  this  state,  for  the  purpose  of  connecting 
Lake  Erie  with  the  Hudson  River,  and  thus  bringing  the  com- 
merce of  our  great  western  lakes  to  center  in  this  city,  is  already 
so  far  completed,  that  it  is  now  navigable  three  hundred  miles 
west  from  Albany ; and  in  one,  or  at  most  two  years,  will  be  finish- 
ed to  Buffalo  on  Lake  Erie.  The  northern  canal  which  connects, 
Albany  with  Lake  Champlain  is  also  complete,  and  we  have  seen 
in  this  harbor,  a few  days  since,  a vessel  with  a cargo  from  St. 
Albans,  a town  near  the  northern  extremity  of  that  lake. 

The  locks  necessary  to  surmount  the  falls  of  the  Cohoos,  near 
Albany,  (where  the  canal  is  cut  in  the  solid  rock,)  those  at  the 
Little  Falls,  and  the  stone  aqueduct  of  nine  arches,  which  carries 
the  canal  across  the  Genesee  River  at  Rochester,  are  all  executed 
with  a perfection  of  workmanship,  as  well  as  material,  equal  to 
any  thing  of  the  kind  that  I have  seen  in  Europe. 

The  change  in  all  this  western  and  northern  country,  which 
in  your  time  was  a wilderness,  inhabited  only  by  savages  and 
wolves,  and  now  is  full  of  villages  and  cultivation,  seems  even  to 
us  the  work  of  enchantment,  and  is  indeed  the  witchery  of  a 
free  and  intelligent  government.  Should  circumstances  ever 
again  induce  you  to  cross  the  Atlantic,  these  scenes  would  de- 
light you. 

With  grateful  recollection  of  the  kindness  which  I received 
from  you  formerly  in  Paris,  and  cordial  wishes  for  the  future  hap- 
piness of  yourself  and  your  famity,  I have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 
your  obliged  and  faithful  servant,  J.  T. 


Stone  by  ji.Nu/l 


CATALOGUE  OF  PAINTINGS, 

BY 

COLONEL  TRUMBULL; 

INCLUDING 

EIGHT  SUBJECTS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION, 

WITH 

NEAR  TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  PORTRAITS  OF  PERSONS  DISTINGUISHED 
IN  THAT  IMPORTANT  PERIOD. 


PAINTED  BY  HIM  FROM  THE  LIFE. 


NOW  EXHIBITING  IN  THE 

GALLERY  OF  YALE  COLLEGE, 
NEW  HAVEN: 


Where  they  have  been  placed  by  the  donor,  on  condition  that  after  his  decease,  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  exhibition  shall  be  forever  applied  in  aid  of  the  education 
of  indigent  students  in  Yale  College. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  submitting  to  the  view  of  the  public  the  series  of  paintings,  commemorating 
important  events  of  the  American  revolution,  the  consideration,  that  an  entire 
generation  of  men  have  passed  away  since  the  enterprise  was  commenced,  and 
that  very  few  are  now  living  who  were  actors  in  the  scenes  represented,  renders 
it  proper  to  give  some  historical  account  of  their  origin,  in  order  to  establish  their 
claim  to  authenticity. in  view  of  posterity. 

The  artist,  by  whom  they  have  been  painted,  was  one  of  the  aids-du-camp  of 
General  Washington,  in  the  first  year  of  the  Revolution,  (1775,)  and  in  the  suc- 
ceeding year,  (1776,)  was  the  deputy  adjutant-general  of  the  northern  depart- 
ment, under  the  command  of  Major  General  Gates.  He  retired  from  the  service 
in  the  spring  of  1777. 

Ardently  anticipating  the  vast  consequences  of  the  Revolution,  and  the  future 
greatness  of  his  country ; and  having  a natural  taste  for  drawing,  in  which  he  had 
already  made  some  progress,  (see  No.  27,)  Colonel  Trumbull  resolved  to  cultivate 
that  talent,  with  the  hope  of  binding  his  name  to  the  great  events  of  the  time,  by 
becoming  the  graphic  historiographer  of  them,  and  of  his  early  comrades. 

With  this  view,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  the  art  of  painting,  first  in 
America,  and  afterwards  in  Europe  ; and  in  the  year  1786,  he  produced  in  Lon- 
don, his  first  considerable  historical  work,  the  death  of  General  Warren  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill.  (No.  3 of  this  collection.) 

John  Adams,  afterwards  president  of  the  United  States,  was  at  that  time  their 
minister  in  London ; and  Thomas  Jefferson  held  the  same  high  rank  in  Paris. 
The  artist  was  well  known  by  both  these  distinguished  men,  and  this  his  first  pat- 
riotic work  of  art,  was  seen  and  appreciated  by  both.  He  explained  to  them  his 
intention  of  painting  a series  of  pictures,  in  commemoration  of  the  principal  events 
of  the  Revolution,  in  which  should  be  preserved,  as  far  as  possible,  faithful  portraits 
of  those  who  had  been  conspicuous  actors  in  the  various  scenes,  whether  civil  or 
military,  as  well  as  accurate  details  of  the  dress,  manners,  arms,  &c.  of  the  times ; 
with  all  which  he  had  been  familiarly  acquainted.  Mr.  Adams  and  Mr.  Jefferson 
encouraged  him  in  the  prosecution  of  this  plan,  and  with  their  approbation  the  fol- 
lowing subjects  were  selected : 

The  Death  of  General  Warren,  at  Bunker’s  Hill. 

The  Death  of  General  Montgomery,  at  Quebec. 

The  Declaration  of  Independence. 

The  Capture  of  the  Hessians,  at  Trenton. 

The  Death  of  General  Mercer,  at  Princeton. 

The  Surrender  of  General  Burgoyne,  at  Saratoga. 

The  Treaty  with  France. 

The  Battle  of  Eutaw  Springs. 

The  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  at  Yorktown. 

The  Treaty  of  Peace. 

The  Evacuation  of  New  York. 

The  Resignation  of  General  Washington. 


408 


APPENDIX. 


It  was  intended  to  publish  a series  of  engravings  from  these  pictures,  and  there- 
fore a small  size  was  adopted,  suited  to  the  use  of  the  engraver. 

Several  of  the  compositions  were  immediately  studied  and  prepared  for  the  fu- 
ture introduction  of  the  intended  portraits,  particularly  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence ; so  that,  before  the  two  great  men,  above  named,  returned  to  the  United 
States,  from  their  respective  embassies,  their  portraits  were  painted  in  the  work 
now  submitted  to  view,  (No.  9,) — the  one  in  London,  the  other  in  Paris.  The 
portraits  of  the  French  officers  in  the  picture  of  the  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis, 
(No.  29,)  were  also  painted  from  life,  in  Paris,  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Jefferson  in  the 
year  1787. 

After  the  present  constitution  of  the  United  States  had  been  adopted,  the  artist, 
in  the  autumn  of  1789,  returned  to  America,  to  pursue  his  work.  He  found  Con- 
gress assembled  in  New  York,  then  the  seat  of  government;  and,  having  procured 
the  portraits  of  General  Washington,  and  of  many  other  distinguished  characters, 
in  the  several  compositions  for  which  they  were  intended,  he  afterwards  travelled 
through  various  parts  of  the  country,  from  New  Hampshire  to  South  Carolina,  in 
search  of  others ; and  in  1794,  had  nearly  completed  the  collection  of  portraits, 
views  of  places,  and  all  the  various  materials  necessary  to  the  execution  of  his 
entire  plan. 

During  this  period  the  work  attracted  much  attention,  and  was  generally  ap- 
proved. All  saw  the  correctness  of  the  portraits;  many  knew  the  accuracy  of  the 
circumstances  recorded  : and  it  was  proposed  to  employ  the  artist  to  execute  the 
entire  series  for  the  nation.  This  proposal  failed  to  be  carried  into  effect;  not 
through  any  opposition  from  any  quarter  to  the  propriety  and  fitness  of  the  object, 
but  because  the  nation  then  possessed  no  building  proper  to  receive  and  preserve 
such  works;  and  because  doubts  existed  then,  as  they  have  since,  in  the  minds  of 
some  gentlemen,  whether  Congress  possessed  the  right  of  appropriating  the  public 
money  to  such  purposes. 

In  the  mean  time  the  French  revolution  had  commenced,  and  its  subsequent 
convulsions  diverted  the  attention  of  all  mankind,  during  many  years,  from  the  fine 
arts,  and  from  all  the  works  and  thoughts  of  peace  ; and  the  further  prosecution 
of  this  object  was  suspended,  until  the  government  of  the  United  States,  in  the 
year  1816,  were  pleased  to  pass  a resolution,  authorizing  the  artist  to  execute  four 
of  the  subjects  for  the  nation — just  thirty  years  after  he  had  painted  the  battle  of 
Bunker’s  Hill. 

The  attention  of  the  artist  was  exclusively  devoted  to  the  execution  of  this  hon- 
orable commission,  until  it  was  completed,  when  he  resumed  the  small  set  of  these 
then  unfinished  studies ; and  although  the  lapse  of  near  forty  years  might  have 
been  expected  to  have  impaired  his  sight  in  a degree  which  would  have  prevented 
the  possibility  of  finishing  such  small  works,  yet,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  he  has 
accomplished  his  original  purpose  to  the  extent,  and  with  the  degree  of  success 
which  is  now  submitted  to  public  examination. 


CATALOGUE,  &c. 


No.  1.— The  Duke  of  Wellington. 

No.  2. — Five  Heads.  Oil  Miniatures.  1792. 

No.  3. — The  Battle  of  Bunker’s  Hill. — June  17,  1775. 

The  Revolution  which  effected  the  separation  of  the  British 
colonies  in  North  America  from  the  parent  state,  and  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  present  United  States,  forms,  and  will  forever 
remain,  the  most  interesting  period  of  human  history.  There 
have  been  many  wars,  in  ancient  as  well  as  modern  times,  mark- 
ed by  more  extensive  devastation  and  ruin,  but  these  have  gen- 
erally resulted  in  the  establishment  of  some  new  variety  of  des- 
potism, or  some  mere  change  of  dynasty ; while  this  revolution 
has  not  only  produced  the  establishment  of  a new  and  mighty 
empire,  but  an  empire  founded  on  a new  principle, — the  principle 
that  man,  under  the  guidance  of  the  representative  system,  is 
capable  of  governing  himself,  without  the  aid  of  autocracy,  oli- 
garchy, or  aristocracy.  The  experiment  is  sublime, — has  hith- 
erto proved  successful ; and  may  Providence  secure  its  lasting 
success,  so  that  its  influence,  which  is  already  extensively  felt  by 
many  nations,  may  permanently  affect  the  happiness  of  the  hu- 
man race. 

Among  the  many  unwise  measures  of  the  British  government, 
of  which  it  is  the  province  of  history  to  preserve  the  unhappy 
record,  perhaps  no  one  had  a more  fatal  effect  in  alienating  the 
minds  of  the  colonists,  or  led  more  directly  or  more  surely  to  the 
great  result  of  separation,  than  the  act  of  Parliament,  passed  in 
the  year  1766,  known  by  the  name  of  the  declaratory  act , which, 
with  a strange  and  blind  fatality,  accompanied  the  auspicious 
repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act.  By  this  it  was  declared,  “ that  the 
“British  Parliament  had  the  right  to  pass  laws  binding  the  colo- 
“ nies  in  all  cases  whatsoever.” 

This  declaration  was  in  such  direct  contradiction  to  the  uni- 
versally received  opinion  of  the  British  people,  that  representa- 

52 


410 


APPENDIX. 


tion,  taxation,  and  legislation,  were  inseparably  connected  ; that 
it  at  once  revolted  the  feelings  of  all  thinking  men  in  the  colo- 
nies ; cancelled  the  otherwise  salutary  effect  of  the  repeal  of  the 
obnoxious  Stamp  Act,  and  gave  rise  to  a series  of  the  most  elo- 
quent and  powerful  essays  on  the  origin,  nature,  and  obligation 
of  government,  that  had  ever  before  been  submitted  to  the  exam- 
ination of  the  human  understanding.  All  tended  to  one  point ; 
and  error  after  error  on  the  one  hand,  confirming  the  profound 
reasonings  which  had  thus  been  provoked  on  the  other,  the  result 
became  inevitable. 

Hostilities  commenced  at  Lexington,  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775. 
On  the  first  news  of  this  affair,  the  youth  and  yeomanry  of  New 
England  hurried  to  Boston  “ en  masse,”  with  such  arms  as  they 
could  command,  and  the  British  troops  were  shut  up  in  the  town, 
by  a numerous  assemblage  of  enthusiastic  men,  brave,  but  undis- 
ciplined, badly  armed,  ill  supplied  with  ammunition,  destitute  of 
military  uniforms  or  equipments  ; cartridges  and  cartridge-boxes 
were  rare,  bayonets  almost  unknown,  and  a great  proportion  of 
these  heroic  men  possessed  only  fowling-pieces,  with  some  pow- 
der in  their  horns,  and  a few  bullets  in  their  pockets. 

Science  was  as  imperfect  among  the  officers  high  in  command, 
as  was  discipline  among  the  inferior  officers  and  troops. 

Little  was  or  could  be  done  during  the  sixty  days  which  elaps- 
ed between  the  19th  of  April  and  the  17th  of  June,  to  reduce 
this  assemblage  to  order  and  discipline  ; yet,  such  was  the  zeal  of 
the  moment,  that  the  determination  was  taken  to  advance  from 
Cambridge,  and  to  establish  a post  on  Breed’s  Hill,  the  nearest 
point  of  approach  to  Boston,  distant  a little  more  than  half  a mile 
from  the  north  part  of  the  town;  and  on  the  evening  of  the  16th 
of  June,  a detachment  of  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  men,  com- 
manded by  Gen.  Putnam  and  Col.  Prescott,  marched  for  this 
purpose,  arrived  at  the  spot  selected  at  10  o’clock,  and  commenced 
throwing  up  a small  redoubt,  traces  of  which  were  visible  a few 
years  since,  and  probably  may  still  be  found  on  the  ground  now 
marked  by  the  monument. 

The  British  had  no  knowledge  of  this  movement  until  day- 
light exposed  to  their  view  the  progress  which  had  been  made  ; 


* 


APPENDIX. 


411 


from  the  moment  of  this  discovery,  they  opened  a heavy  fire 
from  ships  and  batteries,  which  was  continued  incessantly  through 
the  day,  until  the  attack  of  the  works  was  made  in  form  by  the 
troops  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Howe,  in  the  afternoon  of 
June  17th.  Thus,  from  10  o’clock  in  the  evening  until  4 o’clock 
in  the  morning,  six  hours,  was  all  the  time  which  this  gallant  de- 
tachment had  to  prosecute  their  work  without  interruption.  They 
were  not  relieved  in  the  morning,  but  remained  all  day  under  the 
fire  of  the  enemy,  laboring  to  complete  their  work,  which  they 
ultimately  defended,  under  the  immediate  orders  of  the  gallant 
veteran,  Prescott,  with  the  most  unyielding  bravery  ; and  quitted 
their  post  only  when  their  ammunition  was  entirely  expended. 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  other  troops  were  ordered  down  from 
Cambridge  to  support  this  first  detachment,  some  of  whom  were 
deterred  from  attempting  to  cross  Charlestown  neck,  by  the  fire  of 
the  hostile  floating  batteries  ; while  others  fearlessly  dashed  on, 
and  took  up  positions  on  the  left  of  the  redoubt,  thus  forming  a 
line  which  extended  from  the  redoubt  on  the  right,  to  Mystic 
river  on  the  left ; securing  their  front,  at  least  in  appearance,  by 
throwing  together  fences,  new-mown  hay,  and  whatever  else  was 
movable,  and  could  afford  some  show  of  shelter. 

Joseph  Warren,  an  eminent  physician  of  Boston,  had  for  some 
time  been  distinguished  as  an  ardent  and  eloquent  supporter  of 
the  rights  of  his  country.  At  this  time  he  was  a very  influential 
member  of  the  provincial  congress,  assembled  at  Watertown, 
near  Cambridge,  and  a few  days  preceding  the  battle  had  been 
elected  a major-general,  but  as  yet  had  assumed  no  command. 
He  was  going  out  to  dine,  when  the  increasing  din  of  the  action 
impelled  him  to  gallop  to  the  scene,  where  he  arrived  almost  at 
the  moment  of  defeat.  This  is  the  moment  chosen  for  the  paint- 
ing, which,  of  course,  is  limited  to  that  part  of  the  scene  which 
was  near  the  redoubt,  and  where  the  death  of  Gen.  Warrren,  and 
the  obstinate  resistance  of  men  almost  unarmed  to  well-armed 
and  disciplined  troops,  is  meant  to  be  shown. 

In  a scene  of  such  extent  and  confusion  as  the  entire  battle, 
half  hidden  of  course  by  smoke,  it  was  impossible  to  represent 
the  equal  gallantry  of  those  brave  troops  who  formed  the  line  of 


412 


APPENDIX. 


defense  between  the  redoubt  and  Mystic  river,  where  Major 
Knowlton  and  many  others  distinguished  themselves  by  the  cool- 
est bravery  and  the  soundest  judgment. 

This  painting  represents  the  moment  when  (the  Americans 
having  expended  their  ammunition)  the  British  troops  became 
completely  successful  and  masters  of  the  field.  At  this  last  mo- 
ment of  the  action,  Gen.  Warren  was  killed  by  a musket  ball 
through  the  head.  The  principal  group  represents  him  expiring  ; 
a soldier  on  his  knees  supports  him,  and  with  one  hand  wards  off 
the  bayonet  of  a British  grenadier,  who,  in  the  heat  and  fury  nat- 
ural at  such  a moment,  aims  to  revenge  the  death  of  a favorite 
officer,  Col.  Abercrombie,  who  had  just  fallen  at  his  feet.  Col. 
Small,  (whose  conduct  in  America  was  always  equally  distin- 
guished by  acts  of  humanity  and  kindness  to  his  enemies,  as  by 
bravery  and  fidelity  to  the  cause  he  served,)  had  been  intimately 
connected  with  Gen.  Warren, — saw  him  fall,  and  flew  to  save 
him.  He  is  represented  seizing  the  musket  of  the  grenadier,  to 
prevent  the  fatal  blow,  and  speaking  to  his  friend;  it  was  too 
late  ; the  general  had  barely  life  remaining  to  recognize  the  voice 
of  friendship ; he  had  lost  the  power  of  speech,  and  expired  with 
a smile  of  mingled  gratitude  and  triumph.  Near  him,  several 
Americans,  whose  ammunition  is  expended,  although  destitute  of 
bayonets,  are  seen  to  persist  in  a resistance  obstinate  and  desper- 
ate, but  fruitless.  Near  this  side  of  the  painting  is  seen  General 
Putnam,  reluctantly  ordering  the  retreat  of  these  brave  men  ; 
while  beyond  him  a party  of  the  American  troops  oppose  their 
last  fire  to  the  victorious  column  of  the  enemy. 

Behind  Col.  Small  is  seen  Col.  Pitcairn,  of  the  British  marines, 
mortally  wounded,  and  falling  in  the  arms  of  his  son,  to  whom 
he  was  speaking  at  the  fatal  moment.  Under  the  feet  of  Col. 
Small  lies  the  dead  body  of  Col.  Abercrombie. 

Gen.  Howe,  who  commanded  the  British  troops,  and  Gen.  Clin- 
ton, who,  towards  the  close  of  the  action,  offered  his  service  as  a 
volunteer,  are  seen  behind  the  principal  group. 

On  the  right  of  the  painting,  a young  American,  wounded  in 
the  sword  hand,  and  in  the  breast,  has  begun  to  retire,  attended  by 
a faithful  negro ; but  seeing  his  general  fall,  hesitates  whether  to 


APPENDIX. 


413 


save  himself,  or,  wounded  as  he  is,  to  return  and  assist  in  saving 
a life  more  precious  to  his  country  than  his  own. 

Behind  this  group  are  seen  the  British  column  ascending  the 
hill, — grenadiers,  headed  by  an  officer  bearing  the  British  colors, 
mounting  the  feeble  entrenchments ; and  more  distant,  the  Som- 
erset ship  of  war,  (which  lay  during  the  action  between  Boston 
and  Charlestown,)  the  north  end  of  Boston,  with  the  battery  on 
Copp’s  Hill  ‘ and  the  harbor,  shipping,  &c.  &c. 

No  part  of  the  town  of  Charlestown  is  seen ; but  the  dark 
smoke  indicates  the  conflagration. 

Such  was  the  irregularity  of  official  returns  at  the  time,  that 
the  number  of  American  troops  engaged  on  this  occasion,  was 
never  ascertained  with  any  degree  of  accuracy ; they  were  esti- 
mated variously  from  one  thousand  five  hundred  to  three  thousand : 
the  latter  number  was  probably  nearest  the  truth.  It  was  admit- 
ted that  their  loss  amoufited  to  at  least  four  hundred  and  fifty  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing ; only  thirty  prisoners,  however, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British,  and  they  were  all  wounded. 

The  British  Annual  Register  of  that  year,  admits  the  number 
engaged  on  their  side  to  have  been  three  thousand  ; and  states 
their  loss  (from  official  returns)  to  have  amounted  to  one  thou- 
sand and  fifty  four,  of  whom  two  hundred  and  twenty  six  were 
killed,  and  eight  hundred  and  twenty  eight  wounded  ; of  this 
number,  nineteen  officers,  including  one  lieutenant-colonel  and 
two  majors,  were  killed,  and  seventy  others  wounded. 

The  artist  was  on  that  day  adjutant  of  the  first  regiment  of 
Connecticut  troops,  stationed  at  Roxbury ; and  saw  the  action 
from  that  point. 

No.  4. — Five  Heads.  Oil  Miniatures.  1792. 

No.  5. — The  Death  of  Gen.  Montgomery,  in  the  attack 
of  Qajebec. — December  31,  1775. 

The  history  of  that  part  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution  which 
was  carried  on  in  what  was  called  the  northern  department,  is 
full  of  events  of  deep  and  romantic  interest,  as  well  as  of  import- 
ant instruction.  So  early  as  1775,  in  the  very  first  moments  of 
the  contest,  it  was  determined  to  attempt  the  reduction  of  Can- 
ada, and  its  annexation  to  the  general  confederacy.  For  this 


414 


APPENDIX. 


purpose,  a body  of  troops,  under  the  command  of  General  Mont- 
gomery, advanced  by  the  obvious  route  of  Lake  Champlain,  to 
attack  the  enemy  at  the  heart,  not  in  the  remote  extremities : 
Ticonderoga,  St.  John’s,  Chambly,  and  Montreal,  were  in  his 
possession  on  the  12th  of  November. 

In  the  mean  time,  an  enterprise  was  planned  at  Cambridge, 
and  placed  under  the  direction  of  General  Arnold,  to  co-operate 
in  the  reduction  of  Quebec,  Which  for  brilliancy  of  conception 
and  hardihood  of  attempt,  and  for  partial,  though  not  ultimate 
success,  may  justly  be  ranked  with  the  passage  of  the  Alps  by 
either  the  ancient  or  the  modern  Hannibal. 

The  expedition,  composed  only  of  eleven  hundred  men,  left 
Cambridge,  the  head-quarters  of  the  grand  army,  before  Boston, 
on  the  13th  of  September,  1775,  embarked  at  Newburyport,  and 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec  river  on  the  20th ; as- 
cended that  river,  then  very  imperfectly  known,  through  a thinly 
peopled  country,  following  its  course  so  long  as  it  afforded  any 
facilities  of  communication  or  transport;  then  entering  upon  a 
tract  of  mountainous  country,  utterly  unexplored  by  civilized 
man,  pursued  a course  through  the  wilderness,  which  their  gallant 
leader,  like  another  Columbus,  calculated  would  lead  to  those 
streams,  which,  running  northwardly,  must  fall  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence : his  calculations  were  correct ; he  struck  upon  the  head 
waters  of  the  Chaudiere,  which  empties  into  the  St.  Lawrence, 
a few  miles  above,  and  in  sight  of  the  city  of  Quebec,  arrived  at 
Point  Levi  on  the  5th  of  November;  on  the  14th,  crossing  the 
river  at  the  head  of  five  hundred  men,  he  landed  at  Wolfs  Cove, 
marched  to  the  plains  of  Abraham,  and  presented  himself  before 
the  walls  of  the  city.  The  hardships,  difficulties,  and  dangers  of 
this  march,  had  discouraged  the  last  division  of  troops ; and  their 
commander,  Col.  Enos,  yielding  to  the  clamors  and  despondence 
of  his  men,  had  abandoned  the  enterpise,  and  returned  to  Cam- 
bridge. Weakened  by  this  defection,  by  fatigue,  and  consequent 
sickness,  General  Arnold  found  himself  under  the  walls  of  Que- 
bec, at  the  head  of  a force  too  feeble  to  attempt  to  take  possession 
of  the  glorious  prize  which  lay  within  his  grasp,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  defer  any  attack  upon  the  town  until  the  arrival  and 


/ 


APPENDIX. 


415 


co-operation  of  General  Montgomery.  In  the  mean  time,  Sir 
Guy  Carlton,  governor  of  the  province,  learning  the  danger  of 
the  capital,  flew  to  its  aid,  and  threw  himself  into  the  town  a few 
days  before  the  arrival  of  General  Montgomery,  and  the  junction 
of  the  American  forces,  which  took  place  on  the  first  of  December. 
Winter  now  interposed  in  vain  to  suspend  the  hostile  efforts  of 
the  combatants. 

The  term  of  service  for  which  the  American  troops  had  en- 
listed, generally  expired  on  the  1st  of  January,  1776,  and  it 
was  found  that  there  existed  great  reluctance  to  enter  into  any 
further  engagement.  General  Montgomery  therefore  resolved  to 
make  one  last  effort,  and  in  defiance  of  frost,  snow,  and  tempest, 
a gallant  but  desperate  attempt  was  made  on  the  night  of  the 
30th  of  December,  to  carry  Quebec  by  storm.  The  attack  was 
made  in  two  columns ; one  under  the  immediate  command  of 
General  Montgomery,  attempted  the  lower  town  ; the  other,  com- 
manded by  General  Arnold,  was  directed  against  the  upper. 

The  discharge  of  a single  cannon  was  fatal  to  General  Mont- 
gomery and  his  two  aids-du-camp,  and  this  misfortune  occasioned 
the  retreat  of  his  column.  General  Arnold,  in  the  mean  time, 
had  been  partially  successful  in  his  attack,  when  he  was  wounded 
and  carried  off  the  field,  and  the  garrison  concentrating  all  their 
force  against  his  column,  they  were  hemmed  in  and  reduced  to 
the  necessity  of  laying  down  their  arms ; and  many  gallant  offi- 
cers and  men  remained  prisoners  of  war.  Happy  would  it  have 
been  for  Arnold,  if,  instead  of  being  wounded,  he  too  had  died, 
since  by  his  subsequent  treason  at  West  Point,  he  blasted  forever 
the  glory  of  his  most  gallant  conduct  on  that  occasion. 

That  part  of  the  scene  is  chosen  where  General  Montgomery 
commanded  in  person  ; and  that  moment,  when  by  his  unfortu- 
nate death,  the  plan  of  attack  was  entirely  disconcerted,  and  the 
consequent  retreat  of  his  column  decided  at  once  the  fate  of  the 
place,  and  of  such  of  the  assailants  as  had  already  entered  at  an- 
other point. 

The  principal  group  represents  the  death  of  General  Montgom- 
ery, who,  together  with  his  two  aids-du-camp,  Major  M’Pherson 
and  Captain  Cheesman,  fell  by  a discharge  of  grape-shot  from 


416 


APPENDIX. 


the  cannon  of  the  place.  The  General  is  represented  as  expiring, 
supported  by  two  of  his  officers,  and  surrounded  by  others,  among 
whom  is  Colonel  Campbell,  on  whom  the  command  devolved, 
and  by  whose  order  a retreat  was  immediately  begun. 

Grief  and  surprise  mark  the  countenances  of  the  various  char- 
acters. The  eai\h  covered  with  snow, — trees  stripped  of  their 
foliage, — the  desolation  of  winter,  and  the  gloom  of  night,  height- 
en the  melancholy  character  of  the  scene. 

No.  6. — Five  Heads.  Oil  Miniatures.  1791. 

No.  7. — Battle  of  Princeton, — original  composition  (partly 
finished)  of  No.  23.  When  the  size  of  the  intended  copper-plates 
was  determined,  the  artist  resolved  in  his  future  pictures  to  adopt 
the  size  of  those  plates,  as  being  more  convenient  to  the  engraver. 
This  picture,  which  is  the  same  size  as  the  Bunker’s  Hill  and 
Quebec,  and  much  larger  than  the  copper-plates,  is  placed  in  the 
collection,  to  explain  to  future  artists  the  manner  of  proceeding 
with  the  work:  they  will  see  that  the  ground  was  white  on  which 
the  work  was  first  merely  sketched, — then  faintly  stained  with 
positive  colors, — and  finally,  each  head  and  figure  carefully  fin- 
ished from  nature. 

No.  8. — Five  Heads  of  Ladies.  Oil  Miniatures.  1792. 

No.  9. — Declaration  of  Independence. — July  4,  1776. 

To  preserve  the  resemblance  of  the  men  who  were  the  authors 
of  this  memorable  act,  was  an  essential  object  of  this  painting. 
Important  difficulties  presented  themselves  to  the  artist  at  the 
outset ; for  although  only  ten  years  had  then  elapsed  since  the 
date  of  the  event,  it  was  already  difficult  to  ascertain  who  were 
the  individuals  to  be  represented.  Should  he  regard  the  fact  of 
having  been  actually  present  in  the  room  on  the  4th  of  July, 
indispensable  ? Should  he  admit  those  only  who  were  in  favor 
of,  and  reject  those  who  were  opposed  to  the  act  ? Where  a per- 
son was  dead,  and  no  authentic  portrait  could  be  obtained,  should 
he  admit  ideal  heads?  These  were  questions  on  which  Mr. 
Adams  and  Mr.  Jefferson  were  consulted,  and  they  concurred  in 
the  advice,  that  with  regard  to  the  characters  to  be  introduced, 
the  signatures  of  the  original  act,  (which  is  still  preserved  in  the 
office  of  state,)  ought  to  be  the  general  guide.  That  portraits 


APPENDIX. 


417 


ought,  however,  to  be  admitted,  of  those  who  were  opposed  to, 
and  of  course  did  not  sign,  as  well  as  of  those  who  voted  in  favor 
of  the  declaration,  and  did  sign  it,  particularly  John  Dickinson, 
of  Delaware,  author  of  the  Farmer’s  Letters,  who  was  the  most 
eloquent  and  powerful  opposer  of  the  measure  ; not  indeed  of  its 
principle,  but  of  the  fitness  of  the  time,  which  he  considered  pre- 
mature. And  they  particularly  recommended,  that  wherever  it 
was  possible,  the  artist  should  obtain  his  portrait  from  the  living 
person;  that  where  any  one  was  dead,  he  should  be  careful  to 
copy  the  finest  portrait  that  could  be  obtained ; but  that  in  case 
of  death,  where  no  portrait  could  be  obtained,  (and  there  were 
many  such  instances,  for,  anterior  to  the  Revolution,  the  arts  had 
been  very  little  attended  to,  except  in  one  or  two  cities,)  he 
should  by  no  means  admit  any  ideal  representation,  lest,  it  being 
known  that  some  such  were  to  be  found  in  the  painting,  a doubt 
of  the  truth  of  others  should  be  excited  in  the  minds  of  posterity; 
and  that,  in  short,  absolute  authenticity  should  be  attempted,  as 
far  as  it  could  be  obtained. 

The  artist  was  governed  by  this  advice,  and  spared  neither 
labor  nor  expense  in  obtaining  his  portraits  from  the  living  men. 
Mr.  Adams  was  painted  in  London ; Mr.  Jefferson  in  Paris  ; Mr. 
Hancock  and  Samuel  Adams  in  Boston ; Mr.  Edward  Rutledge 
in  Charleston,  South  Carolina ; Mr.  Wythe  at  Williamsburgh,  in 
Virginia ; Mr.  Bartlett  at  Exeter,  in  New  Hampshire,  &c.  &c. 

In  order  to  give  some  variety  to  his  composition,  he  found  it 
necessary  to  depart  from  the  usual  practice  of  reporting  an  act, 
and  has  made  the  whole  committee  of  five  advance  to  the  table 
of  the  president,  to  make  their  report,  instead  of  having  the  chair- 
man rise  in  his  place  for  the  purpose  : the  silence  and  solemnity 
of  the  scene,  offered  such  real  difficulties  to  a picturesque  and 
agreeable  composition,  as  to  justify,  in  his  opinion,  this  departure 
from  custom,  and  perhaps  fact.  Silence  and  solemnity  he  thought 
essential  to  the  dignity  of  the  subject;  levity  or  inattention  would 
have  been  unworthy  on  such  an  occasion  and  in  such  an  assem- 
bly. The  dresses  are  faithfully  copied  from  the  costume  of  the 
time,  the  present  fashion  of  pantaloons  and  trowsers  being  then 
unknown  among  gentlemen. 


53 


418 


APPENDIX. 


The  room  is  copied  from  that  in  which  Congress  held  their 
sessions  at  the  time,  such  as  it  was  before  the  spirit  of  innovation 
laid  unhallowed  hands  upon  it,  and  violated  its  venerable  walls 
by  modern  improvement,  as  it  is  called. 

The  artist  also  took  the  liberty  of  embellishing  the  back- 
ground, by  suspending  upon  the  wall,  military  flags  and  trophies  : 
such  had  been  taken  from  the  enemy  at  St.  John’s,  Chambly,  &c. 
and  probably  were  actually  placed  in  the  hall. 

In  fact  nothing  has  been  neglected  by  the  artist,  that  was 
in  his  power,  to  render  this  a faithful  memorial  of  the  great 
event. 

No.  10. — Five  Heads.  Oil  miniatures.  1792. 

No.  11. — Capture  of  the  Hessians  at  Trenton. — Decem- 
ber 26,  1776. 

The  campaign  of  1776,  was  one  continued  series  of  disasters. 
The  defeat  on  Long  Island,  the  loss  of  New  York,  the  indecisive 
battle  at  White  Plains,  and  the  capture  of  Fort  Washington,  were 
followed  by  a rapid  retreat  through  New  Jersey ; and  the  frag- 
ments of  the  army  did  not  feel  themselves  safe  until  they  had 
crossed  the  Delaware,  and  secured  upon  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
all  the  boats  which  were  to  be  found.  Here  the  exhausted  troops 
enjoyed  a few  days  of  repose,  and  were  joined  by  some  reinforce- 
ments from  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Virginia,  and  by  such 
part  of  the  northern  army,  under  General  Gates,  as  could  be  spared 
from  that  quarter;  the  entire  force  when  united,  amounting  to 
perhaps  four  or  five  thousand  men. 

The  enemy,  in  the  mean  time,  finding  it  impossible  to  cross 
the  Delaware,  and  push  on  immediately  to  Philadelphia,  as  they 
had  intended,  left  a strong  corps  of  Hessian  troops  commanded  by 
Col.  Rahl,  at  Trenton,  and  another,  also  Hessians,  commanded 
by  Col.  Count  Donop,  at  Bordentown,  and  withdrew  their  main 
force  to  Brunswick,  where  they  established  their  magazines,  &c. 

Washington,  now  like  a chafed  lion,  meditated  vengeance 
against  his  pursuers;  and  having  ascertained  the  position  and 
strength  of  his  enemy  in  Trenton  and  Bordentown,  and  that  it 
consisted#entirely  of  German  troops,  who  were  accustomed  to 
keep  Christmas  with  great  festivity,  he  determined  upon  attempt- 


APPENDIX. 


419 


ing  to  surprise  them  on  the  following  morning,  when  the  revelry 
of  the  night  would  probably  leave  them  off  their  guard.  The 
necessary  dispositions  were  accordingly  made  for  crossing  the 
Delaware,  in  three  divisions ; one  near  Bordentown,  one  just  be- 
low Trenton,  and  the  principal  force,  under  his  own  personal 
command,  some  few  miles  above  Trenton.  The  night  proved 
tempestuous,  with  snow  and  hail.  The  river  was  rendered  al- 
most impassable  by  drifting  ice,  and  thus  the  elements  conspired 
to  remove  from  the  minds  of  the  devoted  Germans  all  apprehen- 
sions of  an  attack.  The  division  under  the  immediate  command 
of  Washington,  crossed  the  river  with  great  difficulty,  marched 
down  on  the  east  shore,  and  were  not  discovered  until  they  pre- 
sented themselves  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  town,  a little 
before  sunrise.  The  Germans,  particularly  the  regiment  of  Rahl, 
flew  to  arms,  and  for  a few  minutes  made  a very  spirited  but 
ineffectual  resistance.  The  attack  was  completely  successful  ,* 
and  the  principal  part  of  the  three  German  regiments,  of  Rahl, 
Lossberg,  and  Knyphausen,  to  the  number  of  nine  hundred  and 
eighteen,  were  made  prisoners ; in  killed  and  wounded  they 
lost  thirty  or  forty  men  ; the  remainder  escaped  across  the  creek 
down  the  river,  and  joined  their  comrades  at  Bordentown — the 
meditated  attack  on  that  post  having  been  prevented  by  the  im- 
possibility of  crossing  the  river. 

Six  light  battalion  brass  cannon  also  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
victor,  whose  loss  was  trifling.  Two  officers  were  wounded, — 
Mr.  Monroe,  late  president  of  the  United  States,  then  a captain  in 
the  Virginia  troops,  dangerously,  and  William  Washington,  then  a 
lieutenant,  afterwards  the  celebrated  cavalry  officer,  slightly. 

When  the  conflict  was  ended,  General  Washington  walked  his 
horse  over  the  field,  to  see  that  the  wounded  were  properly  at- 
tended to.  Among  them  he  observed  an  officer  richly  dressed  in 
the  hostile  uniform,  and  upon  inquiry,  found  that  this  was  Col. 
Rahl,  commanding  officer  of  the  enemy.  He  immediately  called 
one  of  his  aids-du-camp,  Colonel  William  Smith,  and  gave  this 
memorable  order : tc  Smith,  take  charge  of  this  gentleman  ; see 
“ him  carefully  and  kindly  conveyed  to  a house ; call  our  best  sur- 
“ geons  to  his  assistance,  and  let  us  save  his  life  if  possible.”  Col. 


420 


APPENDIX. 


Rahl  died  in  the  afternoon,  but  the  memory  of  this  act  should 
never  die. 

The  magnanimous  kindness  displayed  by  Washington,  on  this 
occasion,  offers  a sublime  example  of  true  heroism,  and  well  de- 
serves to  be  imitated  by  all  military  men.  The  artist  chose  this 
subject,  and  composed  the  picture,  for  the  express  purpose  of  giv- 
ing a lesson  to  all  living  and  future  soldiers  in  the  service  of  his 
country,  to  show  mercy  and  kindness  to  a fallen  enemy, — their 
enemy  no  longer  when  wounded  and  in  their  power. 

In  the  afternoon  the  army  re-crossed  the  Delaware,  with  the 
trophies  of  their  victory,  and  the  next  day  the  prisoners  and  artil- 
lery which  had  been  taken  were  marched  off  to  Philadelphia, 
where  their  arrival  caused  the  most  unbounded  joy. 

No.  12. — Four  Heads.  Oil  Miniatures.  1791. 

No.  13. — Copy  of  the  Transfiguration,  the  celebrated  master- 
piece of  Raphael. 

No.  14. — Copy  of  Correggio’s*  celebrated  picture,  called  the 
St.  Jerome,  at  Parma.  Painted  in  Tothill-fields  prison,  near 
London,  where  the  artist  was  confined  on  the  charge  of  high 
treason,  during  the  winter  of  1781. 

No.  15. — Copy  of  the  most  admired  picture  of  Raphael,  called 
the  “ Madonna  della  Sedia” — i.  e.  “ Our  Lady  of  the  Chair.” 
Painted  in  London,  October,  1780,  in  the  house  and  under  the 
eye  of  Mr.  West. 


* Correggio  was  born  in  1494,  at  Correggio,  a small  town  in  the  duchy  of 
Modena.  His  real  name  was  Antonio  Allegri,  de  Correggio,  or  of  Correggio,  ac- 
cording to  the  Italian  and  French  custom.  He  died  in  1534,  at  the  age  of  forty, 
and  was,  therefore,  cotemporary  with  Raphael,  M.  Angelo,  Titian,  &c.  His 
master  in  the  art  was  an  unimportant  artist  in  Modena,  from  whom  he  learned 
little,  but  formed  a style  of  his  own  ; in  which  were  united  truth  and  purity  of 
color,  grace,  and  elegance  of  design,  sweetness  of  expression,  and  a superior 
knowledge  of  light  and  shadow.  He  wanted  only  correctness  of  drawing  to  have 
rendered  him  superior  even  to  Raphael.  The  little  Madonna  and  infant  Savior 
in  the  gallery  at  New  Haven  was  copied  from  a copy  made  by  Mr.  West,  from  the 
original,  which  is  preserved  in  Parma,  and  is  allowed  by  all  connoisseurs,  to  be 
one  of  the  three  finest  paintings  in  existence ; the  other  two  pictures  are  the  Trans- 
figuration, by  Raphael,  and  the  Communion  of  St.  Jerome,  by  Dominichino;  which 
of  these  three  i3  the  best,  is  undecided. 


APPENDIX. 


421 


No.  16. — Copy  of  the  Communion  of  St.  Jerome,  the  master- 
piece of  Dominic hino. 

No.  17. — Portrait  of  Col.  Trumbull,  by  Waldo  and  Jewitt. 

No.  18. — Portrait  of  Mrs.  Trumbull,  by  the  Colonel. 

No.  19. — Preparing  the  Body  of  our  Savior  for  the  Tomb. 

No.  20. — Copy  of  the  Madonna*  au  Corset  Rouge — a favorite 
composition  of  Raphael.  Done  in  London,  1801. 

No.  21. — Our  Savior  bearing  the  Cross,  and  sinking  under 
its  weight.  Painted  in  New  York,  1826. 

No.  22. — Four  Heads.  Oil  miniatures.  1791. 

No.  23. — Death  of  Gen.  Mercer,  at  the  Battle  of  Prince- 
ton.— January  3,  1777. 

Alarmed  by  the  success  of  the  attack  upon  Trenton,  the  enemy 
immediately  withdrew  all  their  posts  from  the  banks  of  the  Dela- 
ware, and  concentrated  their  forces  in  Princeton  and  Brunswick. 
On  the  other  hand,  Gen.  Washington,  having  received  consid- 
erable reinforcements,  re-crossed  the  river,  and  again  took  pos- 
session of  Trenton,  with  a view  to  further  offensive  operations. 
On  the  2d  of  January,  1777,  Lord  Cornwallis,  having  resumed 
the  command  of  the  British  troops,  marched  with  his  whole  force 
to  attack  him.  Washington,  at  his  approach,  abandoned  the 
town  of  Trenton,  and  took  his  position  on  the  south  side  of  the 
creek.  Some  skirmishing  followed,  and  a severe  cannonade, 
with  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  force  the  passage  of  the  bridge, 
closed  the  events  of  the  day.  The  British  troops,  to  the  number 
of  near  ten  thousand,  occupied  Trenton.  One  brigade  was  halted 
about  six  miles  in  their  rear,  and  another  brigade,  composed  of 
the  17th,  40th,  and  55th  regiments,  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Mawhood,  passed  the  night  at  Princeton.  All  these  corps  were 
ordered  to  unite  at  Trenton  early  in  the  following  morning, 
with  the  expectation  of  overwhelming  the  Americans. 


* Madonna  is  technically  applied  by  the  Italians  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  mother 
of  our  Lord , and  therefore  emphatically  our  Lady ; ma,  in  Italian,  is  my,  and 
Donna , Lady,  literally  therefore,  my  Lady.  The  Madonna  with  the  infant  Jesus, 
has  always  been  a favorite  subject  with  the  Italian  artists ; since,  independently 
of  religious  motives,  it  is  a subject  which  unites  in  one  group,  the  two  most  beau- 
tiful objects  in  nature,  a beautiful  woman  and  a lovely  infant. 


422 


APPENDIX. 


Gen.  Washington  saw  his  danger.  The  troops  he  commanded 
were  very  inferior  in  number,  as  well  as  in  discipline  and  in  arms. 
The  Delaware  had  become  absolutely  impassable  in  the  presence 
of  such  an  enemy.  To  retreat  down  the  east  bank,  and  attempt 
to  cross  at  or  near  Philadelphia,  was  equally  hopeless ; and  he 
resolved  to  extricate  himself  by  falling  into  the  rear  of  the  enemy, 
and  by  breaking  the  line  of  his  communications,  forcing  him  in 
his  turn  to  abandon  his  favorite  attempt  on  Philadelphia,  for  the 
security  of  his  own  magazines  and  depots  at  Princeton  and  Bruns- 
wick. In  execution  of  this  daring  and  almost  desperate  plan, 
he  took  the  necessary  precaution  for  keeping  up  the  fires,  and 
every  other  appearance  of  still  occupying  his  camp  ; and  leaving 
small  parties  commanded  by  confidential  officers  to  go  the  rounds 
and  guard  the  bridge  and  fords,  he  withdrew  his  troops  in  the 
dead  of  night,  with  the  most  profound  silence ; and  commenced 
his  march  to  the  east,  keeping  the  creek  between  him  and  his 
enemy. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  January,  a little  before  sunrise, 
and  at  a short  distance  from  Princeton,  the  leading  division,  under 
the  command  of  Gen.  Mercer,  fell  in  with  the  17th  British  regi- 
ment, commanded  by  Col.  Mawhood,  who  had  just  commenced 
their  march  to  join  Lord  Cornwallis  at  Trenton.  The  meeting 
was  equally  unexpected  to  both  parties,  and  both  for  a moment 
were  disconcerted ; but  they  met  on  very  unequal  terms.  The 
British  had  slept  warm  at  Princeton,  had  breakfasted,  and  were 
in  high  spirits,  with  the  expectation  of  a certain  and  decisive  vic- 
tory ; while  the  Americans,  having  marched  all  night,  were  be- 
numbed with  cold,  exhausted  with  fatigue  and  hunger,  and  felt 
little  anticipation  but  of  defeat.  A deadly  conflict  was  unavoid- 
able, and  was  maintained  by  the  Americans  with  the  courage  of 
desperation,  until  the  horse  of  Gen.  Mercer  was  killed  under  him ; 
and  before  he  could  disengage  himself,  and  get  upon  his  feet,  he 
was  attacked  by  two  grenadiers,  and  mortally  wounded.  The 
division,  upon  the  loss  of  their  commander,  gave  way,  and  for  a 
moment  the  British  were  triumphant. 

Washington  saw  the  imminence  and  extent  of  the  danger,  and 
the  utter  irretrievable  ruin  to  the  cause  of  his  country,  which 


APPENDIX. 


423 


would  be  the  consequence  of  ultimate  defeat ; and  having  formed 
the  troops  which  followed  into  a close  column,  he  placed  himself 
at  their  head,  and  advanced  to  meet  the  enemy.  A sanguinary 
and  obstinate  struggle  followed,  in  which  the  17th  British  regi- 
ment was  nearly  annihilated ; the  55th  was  not  much  less  severe- 
ly cut  up,  and  with  difficulty  effected  a retreat  on  Brunswick  ; 
to  which  place  the  40th  also  escaped  by  a circuitous  road,  and 
with  less  loss. 

The  loss  of  lives  was  considerable  on  both  sides ; two  hundred 
prisoners  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  who  immedi- 
ately continued  their  march,  with  the  intention  of  pushing  on  to 
Brunswick,  and  there  burning  the  enemy’s  magazines ; but  upon 
examining  the  condition  of  the  troops  during  a short  halt  at 
Kingston,  it  was  found,  that  although  they  were  in  high  spirits, 
yet  their  physical  force  was  too  far  exhausted  by  cold,  fatigue,  and 
hunger.  Their  march  might  be  traced  upon  the  frozen  ground 
by  the  blood  from  their  lacerated  feet ; their  shoes,  as  well  as  oth- 
er clothing,  being  utterly  inadequate  to  the  extreme  rigor  of  the 
season ; in  addition  to  which,  their  ammunition  was  found  to  be 
nearly  exhausted.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  attempt  upon 
Brunswick  was  reluctantly  abandoned,  and  the  army  filed  off  to 
the  north  by  an  obscure  road  opposite  to  the  stage-house  in  Kings- 
ton, and  took  up  a strong  position  in  the  hilly  country  towards 
Morristown. 

In  the  mean  time,  Lord  Cornwallis,  secure  of  his  prey,  waited 
with  impatience  for  morning,  when  he  was  astonished  by  a heavy 
firing  far  in  his  rear ; and  upon  examination  found  that  his  ene- 
my was  gone,  and  that  nothing  remained  of  the  hostile  camp 
but  the  ashes  of  the  fires  by  which  he  had  been  deluded.  He 
instantly  comprehended  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  evil, — that 
Princeton  and  Brunswick  were  exposed  to  imminent  danger,  and 
without  one  moment  of  unnecessary  delay,  he  commenced  his  re- 
trograde march  for  their  relie.f.  In  a few  days,  the  British  army, 
lately  so  triumphant,  was  reduced  to  the  very  narrow  limits  of 
Brunswick  and  Amboy,  owing  their  security  even  in  them,  prin- 
cipally to  the  open  communication  with  New  York  by  sea; 
while  the  Americans  occupied  all  other  points  of  East  as  well  as 


424 


APPENDIX. 


of  West  Jersey,  and  often  insulted  their  enemy  within  their  nar- 
row quarters. 

Thus,  in  the  short  space  of  nine  days,  an  extensive  country, 
an  entire  state,  was  wrested  from  the  hands  of  a victorious  ene- 
my, superior  in  numbers,  in  arms,  and  in  discipline,  by  the  wis- 
dom, activity,  and  energy  of  one  great  mind. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  in  the  history  of  war,  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find  a parallel  event ; even  in  the  history  of  Napo- 
leon, whom  mankind  have  agreed  to  view  with  such  blind  admi- 
ration. He  was  at  the  head  of  a nation  which  had  made  war  a 
scientific  study  for  ages, — a nation  abounding  in  men  at  once  en- 
thusiastic and  disciplined,  as  well  as  in  all  the  munitions  and 
equipage  of  war.  With  such  means  at  his  disposal,  the  success 
of  Buonaparte  ought  not  to  excite  surprise.  But  his  history  offers 
no  point,  when,  with  inferior  and  inadequate  means,  he  baffled  a 
victorious  enemy,  and  wrested  from  him,  as  in  a moment,  the 
fruits  of  an  arduous  and  successful  campaign. 

No.  24. — Five  Heads  of  Ladies.  Oil  Miniatures.  1792. 

No.  25. — Surrender  of  Gen.  Burgoyne. — October  16,  1777. 

The  conquest  of  Canada  was,  from  the  day  of  the  unfortunate 
attack  on  Quebec,  an  idle  dream ; it  was  well  known  that  in 
May  reinforcements  would  arrive  from  England ; yet  great  but 
ineffectual  efforts  were  made  on  the  American  side ; and  General 
Thomas  first,  and  afterwards  Gen.  Sullivan,  were  sent  on  with 
very  considerable  forces.  The  small-pox  and  sickness,  joined 
with  the  efforts  of  the  enemy  to  render  a retreat  as  dangerous  and 
difficult  as  it  was  necessary.  Gen.  Thomas  died,  and  the  broken 
fragments  of  the  invaders  fell  back  upon  Crown  Point  and  Ticon- 
deroga ; where  in  the  beginning  of  July,  they  were  met  by  Gen. 
Gates,  who  had  been  sent  to  assume  the  command  of  the  north- 
ern department. 

His  first  object  was  of  course  to  obtain  a return  of  the  force 
and  condition  of  the  army.  It  was  found  to  consist  of  five  thou- 
sand two  hundred  men,  of  whom  about  two  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred were  so  sick  as  to  require  to  be  sent  to  the  hospital,  which 
had  been  established  at  the  head  or  southern  extremity  of  Lake 
George ; and  when  these,  with  the  number  necessary  to  serve  as 


APPENDIX. 


425 


nurses,  were  removed,  the  force  remaining  for  active  service  was 
too  small  to  offer  any  effectual  resistance  to  the  victorious  enemy, 
had  he  possessed  the  means  of  following  up  his  success.  Happily, 
General  Sullivan,  on  whom  had  devolved  the  command  of  this 
disastrous  retreat,  had  with  great  skill  and  exertion,  found  means 
either  to  destroy  or  withdraw  all  the  vessels  and  boats  on  Lake 
Champlain,  so  that  the  victors  were  compelled  to  remain  at  St. 
John’s  until  they  could  construct  others. 

The  summer  was  passed  by  the  contending  parties,  at  the  two 
extremities  of  the  lake,  in  preparations  to  give  or  repel  the  attack  ; 
the  works  at  Ticonderoga  were  strengthened,  and  each  endeav- 
ored to  secure  the  command  of  the  lake  by  constructing  a fleet ; 
these  met  on  the  11th  of  October,  when  the  American  squadron 
was  defeated,  and  the  enemy  advanced  to  Crown  Point,  and  recon- 
noitered  Ticonderoga.  But  the  lateness  of  the  season,  and  the 
formidable  display  of  apparent  force  on  our  side,  deterred  Sir  Guy 
Carlton  from  making  an  attack.  The  defenses  of  this  post  had 
been  so  extended  as  to  require  at  least  ten  thousand  men,  and 
they  were  occupied  for  a short  time  by  thirteen  thousand  five 
, hundred  men,  chiefly  New  England  militia.  It  was  not  only 
believed  by  some,  but  at  length  demonstrated  by  actual  experi- 
ment, that  this  extended  position  was  overlooked  and  completely 
. commanded  by  Sugar-Loaf  Hill,  which  forms  the  northern  ex- 
tremity of  that  mountain  ridge  which  separates  Lake  George  from 
Wood  Creek,  the  southern  and  narrow  part  of  Champlain  ; and 
this  important  point,  elevated  six  hundred  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  water,  had  never  been  occupied  by  French,  English,  or 
Americans. 

The  spring  of  1777,  found  General  St.  Clair  occupying  the  ex- 
tensive works  of  Ticonderoga  with  only  three  thousand  men,  all 
the  force  that  could  be  spared  for  the  defense  of  that  point. 

On  the  first  of  July,  General  Burgoyne  appeared  before  the 
place  at  the  head  of  eight  thousand  men,  and  immediately  occu- 
pied Mount  Hope,  on  the  left  of  our  position,  distant  about  one 
thousand  yards  from  the  old  French  lines,  so  memorable  for  the 
defeat  of  General  Abercrombie,  in  1757.  He  was  thus  master  of 
the  outlet  of  Lake  George,  and  on  the  next  night  he  occupied  the 

54 


426 


APPENDIX. 


summit  of  Sugar-Loaf  Hill,  with  several  pieces  of  heavy  artillery, 
and  from  that  moment  it  became  unavoidably  necessary  to  aban- 
don Ticonderoga.  This  was  effected  in  the  course  of  the  follow- 
ing day  by  Gen.  St.  Clair,  with  as  little  loss  or  disorder  as  could  be 
expected  under  such  circumstances ; the  troops  commenced  their 
retreat  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  and  after  various  skirmishes 
and  some  loss,  fell  back  as  far  as  Stillwater,  on  the  North  River, 
twenty  miles  above  Albany ; here  they  were  met  by  reinforce- 
ments and  halted,  and  Gen.  Gates  again  assumed  the  command. 

General  St.  Clair  was  very  severely  censured  for  thus  losing 
this  important  post.  But  his  means  were  entirely  inadequate  to 
its  defense ; he  merited  applause  rather  for  having  extricated 
himself  with  so  little  loss  from  a very  difficult  situation,  and  for 
having  saved  part  of  the  garrison  which  formed  the  nucleus  of 
that  force,  which,  before  the  close  of  the  campaign,  reverse^  its 
character. 

General  Burgoyne  followed  up  his  success  with  great  caution, 
advancing  slowly,  and  bringing  on  his  entire  park  of  artillery, 
with  all  its  attirail ; but  it  was  not  until  September,  that  he  ap- 
proached General  Gates,  at  Stillwater,  where  a partial  and  inde- 
cisive action  took  place  on  the  20th.  On  the  7th  of  October,  a 
decisive  action  was  fought  at  Bemus’s  Heights.  On  the  8th, 
General  Burgoyne  found  his  situation  so  critical,  that  he  aban- 
doned his  camp,  and  commenced  a retreat  toward  Canada;  but 
finding  bad  roads,  broken  bridges,  and  hostile  parties  posted  at 
every  disputable  point,  and  hovering  around  him  on  all  sides,  he 
halted,  and  took  post  at  Saratoga,  where,  on  the  17th,  his  army 
surrendered,  under  a convention,  of  which  the  following  were 
the  first  two  articles. 

ARTICLES  OF  CONVENTION  BETWEEN  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  BUR- 
GOYNE AND  MAJOR-GENERAL  GATES. 

“ 1.  The  troops  under  Lieutenant  General  Burgoyne,  to  march 
“out  of  their  camp  with  the  honors  of  war,  and  the  artillery  of 
“ the  intrenchments,  to  the  verge  of  the  river  where  the  old  fort 
“ stood,  where  the  arms  and  artillery  are  to  be  left ; the  arms  to 
“ be  piled  by  word  of  command  from  their  own  officers. 


APPENDIX 


427 


“ 2.  A free  passage  to  be  granted  to  the  army  under  Lieutenant 
“ General  Bnrgoyne  to  Great  Britain,  on  condition  of  not  serving 
“ again  in  North  America  during  the  present  contest;  and  the 
“port  of  Boston  is  assigned  for  the  entry  of  transports  to  receive 
“the  troops,  whenever  Gen.  Howe  shall  so  order.” 

The  painting  represents  General  Burgoyne,  attended  by  Gene- 
ral Phillips,  and  followed  by  other  officers,  arriving  near  the  mar- 
quee of  General  Gates. 

General  Gates  has  advanced  a few  steps  from  the  entrance,  to 
meet  his  prisoner,  who,  with  General  Phillips,  has  dismounted, 
and  is  in  the  act  of  offering  his  sword,  which  General  Gates  de- 
clines to  receive,  and  invites  them  to  enter,  and  partake  of  re- 
freshments. A number  of  the  principal  officers  of  the  American 
army  are  assembled  near  their  general. 

The  confluence  of  Fish  Creek  and  the  North  River,  where  the 
British  left  their  arms,  is  shown  in  the  distance,  near  the  head  of 
Col.  Scammeli ; the  troops  are  indistinctly  seen  crossing  the  creek 
and  the  meadows,  under  the  direction  of  Colonel  (since  Gover- 
nor) Lewis,  then  quarter-master  general,  and  advancing  towards 
the  fore-ground  : they  disappear  behind  the  wood,  which  serves 
to  relieve  the  three  principal  figures ; and  again  appear,  (gren- 
adiers, without  arms  or  accoutrements,)  under  the  left  arm  of 
General  Gates.  Officers  on  horseback,  American,  British,  and 
German,  precede  the  head  of  the  column,  and  form  an  interesting 
cavalcade,  following  the  two  dismounted  generals,  and  connect- 
ing the  different  parts  of  the  picture. 

No.  26. — Five  Heads.  Oil  miniatures.  1791. 

No.  27. — The  Death  of  Paulus  Emilius,  at  the  battle  of 
Cannee,  arranged  and  painted  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  before  the 
artist  had  received  any  instruction.  The  arrangement  or  compo- 
sition of  this  early  picture  is  all  that  is  original : the  parts  or  sep- 
arate figures  were  chosen  from  various  engravings.  See  Rollin’s 
Roman  History,  book  14th,  sec.  2d,  page  64  of  the  2d  London 
edition.  The  earliest  composition  of  the  artist. 

“ Animseque  magnse  prodigum  Paulum,  superante  Poeno.” 
Horace,  Book  1,  Ode  12,  p.  38.  Painted  at  Lebanon,  1774. 

No.  28. — Five  Heads.  Oil  miniatures.  1793. 


428 


APPENDIX. 


No.  29. — Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis. — Oct.  19,  1781. 

The  success  of  this  officer  in  the  southern  states,  during  the 
years  1780  and  1781,  the  capture  of  Charleston,  the  victory  of 
Camden,  and  various  minor  successes,  by  which  almost  every 
part  of  Georgia  and  South  and  North  Carolina,  had  been  success- 
ively occupied  by  the  British  troops,  had  seriously  threatened  the 
ruin  of  American  independence. 

In  1781,  Lord  Cornwallis,  regarding  his  presence  as  no  longer 
essential  to  the  complete  reduction  of  the  three  southern  states, 
marched  with  the  principal  part  of  his  force  into  Virginia,  where, 
for  some  time,  his  success  was  almost  equally  rapid  and  complete  ; 
but  the  admirable  combined  movement  of  General  Washington 
and  our  French  allies,  from  the  north,  and  of  the  Count  de 
Grasse,  with  the  fleet  and  army  of  France,  from  the  West  Indies, 
turned  the  scale,  and  rendered  it  necessary  for  him  to  shut  him- 
self up  in  Yorktown,  and  attempt  to  defend  himself  there,  until 
he  could  receive  relief  from  New  York.  This  hope,  however, 
failed  him,  and  on  the  19th  of  October,  he  surrendered  his  forces 
to  the  combined  armies  of  America  and  France. 

The  honor  of  marching  out  of  the  town,  with  colors  flying, 
&c.  &c.,  which  had  been  refused  to  General  Lincoln,  when,  du- 
ring the  preceding  campaign,  he  had  surrendered  Charleston,  was 
now  refused  to  Lord  Cornwallis ; the  terms  of  the  capitulation 
dictated  at  Charleston  were  insisted  on,  arid  General  Lincoln  was 
appointed  to  superintend  the  submission  of  the  British  at  York- 
town, in  the  same  manner  as  that  of  the  American  troops  at 
Charleston,  under  his  command,  had  been  conducted  about  eigh- 
teen months  before. 

The  American  troops  were  drawn  up  on  the  right  of  the  road 
leading  into  York ; General  Washington  and  the  American  gen- 
eral officers  on  the  right.  The  French  troops  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  road  facing  them ; General  Rochambeau  and  the 
principal  officers  of  the  French  navy  and  army  on  the  left.  The 
British  troops  marched  out  of  town,  “ with  shouldered  arms, 
colors  cased,  and  drums  beating  a British  or  German  march,” 
passed  between  the  two  lines  of  victorious  troops,  to  a place  ap- 
pointed, where  they  grounded  their  arms,  left  them,  and  returned 
unarmed  to  their  quarters  in  the  town. 


APPENDIX. 


429 


The  painting  represents  the  moment  when  the  principal  officers 
of  the  British  army,  conducted-by  General  Lincoln,  are  passing 
the  two  groups  of  American  and  French  generals,  and  entering 
between  the  two  lines  of  the  victors ; by  this  means  the  principal 
officers  of  the  three  nations  are  brought  near  together,  so  as  to 
admit  of  distinct  portraits. 

In  the  centre  of  the  painting,  in  the  distance,  is  seen  the  en- 
trance of  the  town,  with  the  captured  troops  marching  out,  fol- 
lowing their  officers ; and  also  a distant  glimpse  of  York  River, 
and  the  entrance  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  as  seen  from  the  spot. 

No.  30. — Five  Heads.  Oil  Miniatures.  1827. 

No.  31. — Resignation  of  Gen.  Washington. — December'  23, 
' 1783.  Washington , 1827. 

The  peace  of  1783  had  accomplished  the  great  object  of  the 
American  revolution ; the  former  colonies  were  acknowledged 
by  the  parent  state  to  be  independent  of  her ; but  they  were 
equally  independent  of  each  other,  and  the  pressure  of  common 
danger,  which  had  been  the  strongest  bond  of  union,  being  re- 
moved, there  remained  only  a feeble  and  doubtful  sense  of  com- 
mon interest  to  hold  the  different  states  together ; the  large  states 
began  to  feel  their  real  superiority,  while  the  memory  of  faithful 
and  disproportioned  services  swam  before  the  vision  of  the  small  ; 
the  seeds  of  discord  were  sown  and  germinating.  The  army, 
whose  fidelity,  patience,  and  courage,  had  won  the  glorious  prize, 
had  leisure  to  look  back  upon  the  years,  during  which,  without 
pay,  without  clothing,  and  sometimes  almost  without  food,  they 
had  persevered  in  duty, — tantalized  with  promises,  often  renewed 
under  various  forms,  but  never  fulfilled,  they  saw  themselves  on 
the  point  of  being  disbanded,  and  by  being  scattered  among  the 
mass  of  their  fellow  citizens,  deprived  of  any  chance  of  obtain- 
ing justice  by  the  influence  of  a united  effort ; nor  were  there 
wanting  among  them  fiery  spirits,  to  place  all  this  distinctly  be- 
fore their  view,  and  to  urge  them  not  to  lay  down  their  arms  or 
disperse,  until  substantial  justice  should  be  obtained.  What  a 
dazzling  temptation  was  here  to  earthly  ambition ! Beloved  by 
the  military,  venerated  by  the  people,  who  was  there  to  oppose 
the  victorious  chief,  if  he  had  chosen  to  retain  that  power  which 


430 


APPENDIX. 


he  had  so  long  held  with  universal  approbation  ? The  Caesars, 
the  Cromwells,  the  Napoleons,  yielded  to  the  charm  of  earthly 
ambition,  and  betrayed  their  country  ; but  Washington  aspired 
to  loftier,  imperishable  glory, — to  that  glory  which  virtue  alone 
can  give,  and  which  no  power,  no  effort,  no  time,  can  ever  take 
away  or  diminish. 

After  taking  an  affectionate  leave  of  his  old  comrades  at  New 
York,  accompanied  by  only  two  of  them,  Col.  Benjamin  Walker, 
and  Col.  Humphreys,  aids-du-camp,  he  proceeded  to  Annapolis, 
where  Congress,  the  very  shadow  of  a government,  were  then 
sitting,  and  there  resigned  his  commission  into  the  hands  of 
twenty  three  powerless  men,  divested  himself  of  all  authority, 
and  retired  to  private  life. 

The  following  impressive  history  of  the  scene  is  copied  from 
the  Journal  of  Congress,  and  has  been  the  basis  of  the  picture. 
One  additional  circumstance  deserves  notice,  not  so  much  for  its 
importance  as  for  its  singularity.  Thomas  Mifflin,  then  president 
of  Congress,  and  into  whose  hands  the  general  resigned  his  com- 
mission, had  been,  in  1775,  his  first  aid-du-camp,  and  he  who 
painted  the  picture  had  been  his  second. 

Extract  from  the  Journal  of  Congress , Dec.  23,  1783. 

According  to  order,  his  Excellency,  the  commander-in-chief, 
was  admitted  to  a public  audience,  and  being  seated,  the  Presi- 
dent, after  a pause,  informed  him  that  the  United  States,  in  Con- 
gress assembled,  were  prepared  to  receive  his  communications  ; 
whereupon  he  rose  and  addressed  Congress  as  follows : — 

Mr.  President, 

The  great  events  on  which  my  resignation  depended,  hav- 
ing at  length  taken  place,  I have  now  the  honor  of  offering  my 
sincere  congratulations  to  Congress,  and  of  presenting  myself  be- 
fore them  to  surrender  into  their  hands  the  trust  committed  to  me, 
and  to  claim  the  indulgence  of  retiring  from  the  service  of  my 
country. 

Happy  in  the  confirmation  of  our  independence  and  sovereign- 
ty, and  pleased  with  the  opportunity  afforded  the  United  States  of 
becoming  a respectable  nation,  I resign  with  satisfaction  the 


APPENDIX. 


431 


appointment  I accepted  with  diffidence, — a diffidence  in  my  abil- 
ities to  accomplish  so  arduous  a task ; which,  however,  was 
superseded  by  a confidence  in  the  rectitude  of  our  cause,  the  sup- 
port of  the  supreme  power  of  the  Union,  and  the  patronage  of 
heaven. 

The  successful  termination  of  the  war  has  verified  the  most 
sanguine  expectations  ; and  my  gratitude  for  the  interposition  of 
Providence,  and  the  assistance  I have  received  from  my  country- 
men, increases  with  every  review  of  the  momentous  contest. 

While  I repeat  my  obligations  to  the  army  in  general,  I should 
do  injustice  to  my  own  feelings  not  to  acknowledge  in  this  place, 
the  peculiar  services  and  distinguished  merits  of  the  gentlemen 
who  have  been  attached  to  my  person  during  the  war.  It  was 
impossible  that  the  choice  of  confidential  officers  to  compose  my 
family  should  have  been  more  fortunate.  Permit  me,  sir,  to  re- 
commend in  particular,  those  who  have  continued  in  the  service 
to  the  present  moment,  as  worthy  of  the  favorable  notice  and 
patronage  of  Congress. 

I consider  it  an  indispensable  duty  to  close  this  last  act  of  my 
official  life  by  commending  the  interests  of  our  dearest  country  to 
the  protection  of  Almighty  God,  and  those  who  have  the  super- 
intendence of  them  to  his  holy  keeping. 

Having  now  finished  the  work  assigned  me,  I retire  from  the 
great  theatre  of  action,  and  bidding  an  affectionate  farewell  to  this 
august  body,  under  whose  orders  I have  so  long  acted,  I here  offer 
my  commission,  and  take  my  leave  of  all  the  employments  of 
public  life. 

He  then  advanced  and  delivered  to  the  President  his  commis- 
sion, with  a copy  of  his  address,  and  having  resumed  his  place, 
the  President  returned  him  the  following  answer : — 

Sir, — The  United  States,  in  Congress  assembled,  receive  with 
emotions  too  affecting  for  utterance,  the  solemn  resignation  of  the 
authorities  under  which  you  have  led  their  troops  with  success, 
through  a perilous  and  doubtful  war.  Called  upon  by  your  coun- 
try to  defend  its  invaded  rights,  you  accepted  the  sacred  charge 
before  it  had  formed  alliances,  and  whilst  it  was  without  funds 


I 


432  APPENDIX. 

or  a government  to  support  you ; you  have  conducted  the  great 
military  contest  with  wisdom  and  fortitude,  invariably  regarding 
the  rights  of  the  civil  power  through  all  disasters  and  changes. 
You  have,  by  the  love  and  confidence  of  your  fellow  citizens  en- 
abled them  to  display  their  martial  genius,  and  transmit  their  fame 
to  posterity.  You  have  persevered  till  these  United  States,  aided 
by  a magnanimous  king  and  nation,  have  been  enabled,  under  a 
just  Providence,  to  close  the  war  in  freedom,  safety,  and  inde- 
pendence ; on  which  happy  event  we  sincerely  join  you  in  con- 
gratulations. 

Having  defended  the  standard  of  liberty  in  this  new  world, 
having  taught  a lesson  useful  to  those  who  inflict,  and  to  those 
who  feel  oppression,  you  retire  from  the  great  theatre  of  action 
with  the  blessings  of  your  fellow  citizens ; but  the  glory  of  your 
virtues  will  not  terminate  with  your  military  command, — it  will 
continue  to  animate  remotest  ages. 

We  feel  with  you,  our  obligations  to  the  army  in  general,  and 
will  particularly  charge  ourselves  with  the  interests  of  those  con- 
fidential officers,  who  have  attended  your  person  to  this  affecting 
moment. 

We  join  you  in  commending  the  interests  of  our  dearest  coun- 
try to  the  protection  of  Almighty  God,  beseeching  him  to  dispose 
the  hearts  and  minds  of  its  citizens,  to  improve  the  opportunity 
afforded  them  of  becoming  a happy  and  respectable  nation.  And 
for  you,  we  address  to  him  our  earnest  prayers,  that  a life  so  be- 
loved may  be  fostered  with  all  his  care  ; that  your  days  may  be 
as  happy  as  they  have  been  illustrious  ; and  that  he  will  finally 
give  you  that  reward  which  this  world  cannot  give. 

No.  32. — Five  Heads.  Oil  miniatures.  1790. 

No.  33. — Hon.  Stephen  Yan  Rensselaer. 

No.  34. — The  Woman  accused  of  having  been  taken  in  Adul- 
tery.— Sf.  John , viii,  2 — 11.  London,  1811. 

“ And  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  brought  unto  him  a woman 
taken  in  adultery  ; and  when  they  had  set  her  in  the  midst,  they 
say  to  him,  Master,  this  woman  was  taken  in  adultery,  in  the  very 
act : now,  Moses  in  the  law  commanded  us  that  such  should  be 
stoned;  but  what  sayest  thou?  This  they  said,  tempting  him, 


APPENDIX. 


433 


that  they  might  have  whereof  to  accuse  him : so  when  they  con- 
tinued asking  him,  he  lifted  himself  up  and  said  unto  them : He 
that  is  ivithout  sin  among  you , let  him  first  cast  a stone  at  her . 
And  they  which  heard,  being  convicted  by  their  own  conscience, 
went  out  one  by  one.” 

No.  35.- — St.  John  and  Lamb, — from  memory  of  an  exquisite 
picture  by  Murillo,  in  possession  of  the  emperor  of  Russia.  Paint- 
ed in  London,  1800. 

No.  36. — Portrait  of  President  Washington, — head,  the 
size  of  life.  Painted  in  Philadelphia,  May,  1793. 

No.  37. — The  Earl  of  Angus,  conferring  Knighthood  on 
De  Wilton.  See  Sir  Walter  Scott’s  Marmion. — Painted  in 
London,  1810. 

11  A Bishop  by  the  Altar  stood, 

A noble  lord  of  Douglas’  blood ; 

With  mitre  sheen,  and  rocquet  white, 

Yet  showed  his  meek  and  thoughtful  eye, 

But  little  pride  of  prelacy,”  &c. 

li  Beside  him,  ancient  Angus  stood, 

DofT d his  furr’d  gown  and  sable  hood  : 

O’er  his  huge  form  and  visage  pale, 

He  wore  a cap  and  shirt  of  mail ; 

And  leaned  his  large  and  wrinkled  hand 
Upon  his  huge  and  sweeping  brand,”  &c. 

11  Then  at  the  altar  Wilton  kneels, 

And  Clare  the  spurs  bound  on  his  heels  ; 

And  think  what  next  he  must  have  felt, 

At  buckling  of  the  falchion  belt  ; 

And  judge  how  Clara  changed  her  hue,”  &c. 

Scott's  Marmion , Canto  6,  Stanzas  11  and  12. 

No.  38. — Portrait  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  copied  in  1832, 
from  an  original,  painted  at  Washington  in  1792,  now  in  posses- 
sion, of  the  family  of  the  late  Gov.  Wolcott. 

No.  39. — Holy  Family, — composed  in  London,  1802, — finish- 
ed in  America,  1806. 

No.  40. — President  Dwight. 

Timothy  Dwight,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  was  born  at  Northampton,  in 
Massachusetts,  on  the  4th  of  May,  A.  D.  1752.  His  parents  were 
Timothy  and  Mary  Dwight.  The  first  ancestor  of  his  father’s 

55 


434 


APPENDIX. 


family,  in  this  country,  John  Dwight,  came  from  England,  and 
settled  in  Dedham,  in  Massachusetts,  in  1637.  His  mother  was 
the  third  daughter  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  President  of  Princeton 
College,  New  Jersey.  Dr.  Dwight  entered  Yale  College  in 
1765,  and  graduated  in  1769,  with  a high  reputation  for  scholar- 
ship. Two  years  afterwards,  he  was  chosen  a tutor  of  Yale  Col- 
lege, and  for  the  six  succeeding  years  discharged  the  duties  of  this 
office  with  distinguished  success.  In  March,  1777,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mary  Woolsey,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Woolsey,  Esq., 
of  Long  Island.  In  September  of  the  same  year,  he  was  chap- 
lain to  Gen.  Parsons’  brigade,  which  was  a part  of  the  division  of 
General  Putnam,  in  the  army  of  the  United  States,  and  served 
one  year.  After  this,  he  resided  several  years  at  Northampton, 
and  was  twice  a member  of  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts. 
In  1783,  he  was  ordained  as  minister  of  the  church  and  congre- 
gation of  the  parish  of  Greenfield,  in  the  town  of  Fairfield  in 
Connecticut,  and  for  the  succeeding  twelve  years  continued  their 
pastor.  While  at  Greenfield,  he  established  an  academy,  which 
enjoyed  a high  reputation. 

In  May,  1795,  on  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stiles,  he  was  invi- 
ted to  the  presidency  of  Yale  College.  Much  was  expected  from 
Dr.  Dwight  in  this  situation,  and  public  expectation  was  in  no  re- 
spect disappointed.  By  his  exertions  as  an  instructor,  and  by  a 
judicious  system  of  discipline,  the  reputation  of  the  College  was 
greatly  increased  and  extended.  Dr.  Dwight,  through  the  whole 
time  of  his  presidency,  discharged,  also,  the  duties  of  a professor 
of  divinity.  In  the  midst  of  his  usefulness,  he  was  attacked  by 
a painful  and  incurable  disorder,  which  terminated  his  life  on  the 
11th  of  January,  1817,  in  the  65th  year  of  his  age.  His  death 
was  very  extensively  and  deeply  lamented.  Since  the  decease 
of  Dr.  Dwight  his  lectures  on  divinity  have  been  published  un- 
der the  title  of  ‘ Theology,’ — likewise  two  volumes  of  1 Ser- 
1 mons,’  and  his  ‘ Travels  in  New  England  and  New  York.’  In 
early  life,  he  published  an  epic  poem,  entitled  the  1 Conquest  of 
Canaan,’  and  while  he  resided  at  Greenfield,  a collection  of  poems 
entitled  ‘ Greenfield  Hill.’  He  published  also  at  different  times, 
numerous  occasional  sermons  and  short  treatises. 


APPENDIX. 


435 


This  picture  was,  in  part,  presented  to  the  College  by  individ- 
uals of  the  class  which  graduated  in  1817. 

No.  41. — Portrait  of  General  Washington, — whole  length, 
the  size  of  life,  painted  at  Philadelphia,  in  the  year  1792,  for  the 
city  of  Charleston,  (S.  C.) 

This  picture  was  intended  to  preserve  the  military  character 
of  the  great  original ; but  the  citizens  of  Charleston  being  desi- 
rous of  seeing  him  rather  in  his  civil  character,  such  as  they  had 
recently  seen  him  in  his  visit  to  that  city,  another  picture  was, 
with  the  kind  consent  of  the  president,  begun  and  finished,  which 
now  hangs  in  some  public  building  at  Charleston  ; this  was  also 
finished,  and  with  his  approval,  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
artist,  who  had  formerly  been  his  aid-du-camp. 

He  is  represented  in  full  uniform,  standing  on  an  eminence,  on 
the  south  side  of  the  creek  at  Trenton,  a small  distance  below 
the  stone  bridge  and  mill.  He  holds  in  his  right  hand  his  recon- 
noitering  glass,  with  which  he  is  supposed  to  have  been  exam- 
ining the  strength  of  the  hostile  army,  pouring  into  and  occupying 
Trenton,  which  he  had  just  abandoned  at  their  approach  ; and 
having  ascertained  their  great  superiority,  as  well  in  numbers  as 
discipline,  he  is  supposed  to  have  been  meditating  how  to  avoid 
the  apparently  impending  ruin.  To  re-cross  the  Delaware  in 
the  presence  of  such  an  enemy,  was  impossible ; to  retreat  down 
the  eastern  side  of  the  river,  and  cross  at  Philadelphia,  was 
equally  so  ; to  hazard  a battle  on  the-ground,  was  desperate  ; and 
he  is  supposed  to  have  just  formed  the  plan  of  that  movement 
which  he  executed  during  the  succeeding  night.  This  led  to 
the  splendid  success  at  Princeton,  on  the  following  morning ; and 
in  the  estimation  of  the  great  Frederick  of  Prussia,  placed  his 
military  character  on  a level  with  that  of  the  greatest  commanders 
of  ancient  or  modern  times. 

Behind  and  near  him  an  attendant  holds  his  horse ; further 
back,  are  seen  artillery,  assisting  in  the  defense  of  the  bridge  and 
mill,  against  the  attack  made  by  the  enemy,  a little  before  sun- 
set ; the  bridge  and  mill  are  seen  under  the  legs  of  the  horse,  and 
higher  up  in  the  perspective  distance,  are  seen  several  glimpses 
of  the  creek  in  its  windings ; and  the  fires  which  so  fatally  delu- 


436 


APPENDIX. 


ded  the  enemy  during  the  night,  are  in  many  places  already 
lighted  and  visible. 

In  the  countenance  of  the  hero,  the  likeness,  the  mere  map  of 
the  face,  was  not  all  that  was  attempted,  but  the  features  are  an- 
imated, and  exalted  by  the  mighty  thoughts  revolving  in  the 
mind  on  that  sublime  occasion ; the  high  resolve , stamping  on 
the  face  and  attitude  its  lofty  purpose,  to  conquer  or  to  perish. 

Every  minute  article  of  the  dress,  down  to  the  buttons  and 
spurs,  and  every  strap  and  buckle  of  the  horse-furniture,  were 
carefully  painted  from  the  several  objects. 

The  picture  remained  in  the  possession  of  Colonel  Trumbull 
until  the  dissolution  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  in  Connec- 
ticut, when  his  Excellency  Governor  Trumbull,  Gen.  Jedediah 
Huntington,  the  Hon.  John  Davenport,  the  Hon.  Jeremiah  Wads- 
worth, and  the  Hon.  Benjamin  Talmadge,  joined  with  him  in 
presenting  this  portrait  to  Yale  College. 

No.  42. — Governor  Trumbull,  Sen. 

Jonathan  Trumbull  was  born  at  Lebanon  in  1710,  the  son  of 
Joseph,  a respectable  and  strong-minded  farmer,  who,  feeling  the 
deficiency  of  his  own  education,  resolved  that  his  son  should  not 
suffer  similar  mortifications  from  that  cause.  He  therefore  spared 
no  care  or  expense  in  his  education,  and  at  an  early  age  the  fa- 
vored boy  was  sent  to  Harvard  College.  Here  he  became  a good 
scholar,  acquiring  a knowledge  of  the  Hebrew,  as  well  as  the 
Greek  and  Latin  languages,  and  of  all  the  other  studies  of  the 
day.  He  graduated  with  honor  in  1727.* 

His  original  destination  was  for  the  pulpit.  He  went  through 
the  preparatory  studies,  and  had  commenced  preaching,  when  an 
elder  brother  (Joseph)Nwho  had  been  engaged  in  commerce,  died 
suddenly,  leaving  extensive  business  in  an  unsettled  state,  and 
Jonathan  was  the  only  member  of  the  family  qualified  to  unravel 
these  complicated  affairs : he  of  course  devoted  himself  to  this 
duty,  and  was  at  length  so  involved  in  commercial  questions  and 
occupations,  that  he  quitted  his  early  and  favorite  pursuit,  and 
became  a merchant. 


In  the  same  class  was  Gov.  Hutchinson. 


APPENDIX. 


437 


He  was  early  elected  by  his  townsmen  to  the  lower  political 
offices  of  the  town ; he  soon  became  one  of  their  representatives 
in  the  colonial  assembly ; and  as  his  talents  and  virtues  became 
more  extensively  known,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges, 
then  a member  of  the  council  or  state  senate  ,*  and  at  length 
deputy  or  lieutenant  governor,  in  which  office  he  stood  at  the 
commencement  of  the  disputes  between  Great  Britain  and  her 
colonies.  In  this  controversy,  he  embraced  with  fervor  the  patri- 
otic side  ; became  governor  of  the  State  by  the  free  election  of 
his  countrymen,  and  continued  to  be  annually  elected  governor 
until  the  close  of  the  Revolution  in  1783,  when,  declining  a fur- 
ther election,  he  withdrew  from  public  life,  devoted  his  last  years 
to  study  and  religion,  and  died  at  Lebanon  in  August,  1785,  at 
the  age  of  seventy  five  years. 

After  General  Washington,  perhaps  no  individual  contributed 
more  to  the  success  of  the  Revolution  than  Governor  Trumbull. 
He  was  always  at  his  post,  and  devoted  his  time,  his  talents,  and 
his  influence,  with  undivided  energy  and  assiduity  to  the  service 
of  his  country ; his  example  had  a powerful  influence  on  the 
State,  and  on  all  New  England. 

His  correspondence  was  very  extensive,  and  is  preserved  in 
many  manuscript  volumes,  which  were  given  by  his  family  to 
the  Historical  Society  in  Boston,  where,  it  is  to  be  presumed,  they 
are  preserved  with  the  care  they  deserve. 

Governor  Trumbull  in  early  life  married  Faith,  daughter  of  the 
Rev.  John  Robinson,  of  Duxbury,  Mass.,  third  in  direct  descent 
from  the  famous  John  Robinson  who  emigrated  from  England 
in  the  reign  of  James  I,  in  1610,  to  Holland,  and  was  regarded 
as  a leader  of  the  Puritans,  and  father  of  the  pilgrims  who  first 
landed  at  Plymouth.  His  remains  rest  in  the  family  tomb  at 
Lebanon. 

No.  43. — Infant  Savior  and  St.  John.  Painted  in  Lon- 
don, 1801. 

No.  44. — Portrait  of  the  late  Rufus  King. — Head,  the 
size  of  life.  Painted  in  London  during  his  mission,  1800. 

No.  45. — Lamderg  and  Gelchossa.  Ossian’s  Poems,  5th  book 
of  Fingal.  London,  1809. 


438 


APPENDIX. 


“ The  gloomy  heroes  fought.  Fierce  Ullin  fell.  Young  Lam- 
derg  came  all  pale  to  the  daughter  of  the  generous  Tuathal : — 
‘ What  blood,’  she  said,  ‘ what  blood  runs  down  my  warrior’s 
side  ?’  ‘ It  is  Ullin’s  blood,’  the  chief  replied,  1 thou  fairer  than 

snow  : Gelchossa , let  me  rest  here  awhile .’  The  mighty  Lam- 
derg  died.  Three  days  she  mourned  beside  her  love  : — the  hunt- 
ers found  her  cold : — they  raised  this  tomb  over  the  three.” 

No.  46. — Portrait  of  the  late  Christopher  Gore. — Head, 
the  size  of  life.  Painted  in  London,  during  his  residence  there, 
as  one  of  the  commissioners  for  the  execution  of  the  7th  article  of 
Mr.  Jay’s  treaty,  1800. 

No.  47. — Maternal  Tenderness.  London,  1809. 

No.  48. — Our  Savior  with  Little  Children.  London  1812* 

“ And  they  brought  unto  him  also  infants,  that  he  would  touch 
them  ; but  when  his  disciples  saw  it,  they  rebuked  them  ; but 
Jesus  called  them  unto  him,  and  said,  ‘ Suffer  little  children  to 
come  unto  me , and  forbid  them  not , for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
God .’  ” — Luke  xvii,  15 — 18. 

No.  49. — Peter  the  Great  at  the  Capture  of  Narva.  Lon- 
don 1811. 

“ Peter,  on  this  occasion,  gave  an  example  which  ought  to  have 
gained  him  the  affection  of  all  his  new  subjects.  He  ran  every 
where  in  person,  to  put  a stop  to  the  pillage  and  slaughter, — res- 
cued several  women  out  of  the  clutches  of  the  brutal  soldiery,  and 
after  having,  with  his  own  hand,  killed  two  of  those  ruffians,  who 
refused  to  obey  his  orders,  he  enters  the  town-house,  whither  the 
citizens  had  run  in  crowds  for  shelter,  and  laying  his  sword,  yet 
reeking  with  blood,  upon  the  table, — ‘ This  sword,’  said  he,  £ is 
not  stained  with  the  blood  of  your  fellow  citizens,  but  with  that 
of  my  own  soldiers,  which  I have  spilt  to  save  your  lives.’  ” — 
Voltaire’s  Life  of  Peter  the  Great. 

No.  50. — The  Holy  Family — The  Virgin  and  Infant  Savior, 
and  Joseph  the  Carpenter — St.  John  with  his  Lamb,  and 
Elizabeth  his  Mother. 

No.  51. — Joshua  at  the  Battle  of  Ai,  attended  by  Death. 


“ On  the  pale  rear  tremendous  Joshua  hung, 
Their  gloomy  knell  his  voice  terrific  rung. 


APPENDIX. 


439 


From  glowing  eyeballs  flashed  his  wrath  severe — 

Grim  Death  beside  him  hurled  his  fatal  spear.” 

Conquest  of  Canaan,  by  Pres.  Dwight , Book  6th,  line  640. 

No.  52. — The  last  Family  who  perished  in  the  Deluge  . 

An  infant  exhausted  by  cold,  wet,  and  hunger,  lies  dead  in  the 
lap  of  its  mother,  whose  whole  soul  is  engrossed,  and  all  her  fac- 
ulties so  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  this  calamity,  that  she 
is  insensible  to  the  horrors  of  the  scene  which  surrounds  her,  and 
does  not  even  see  that  her  husband  is  just  dashed  from  the  rock 
(their  last  and  only  place  of  refuge)  by  a violent  surge,  and  is 
perishing  at  her  feet.  The  father  throws  up  his  eyes  and  hand  to 
heaven,  saying — “ Heavenly  Father ! oh,  smite  us  at  once  with 
thy  lightning,  and  put  an  end  to  this  lingering  misery !” 

No.  53. — “ I was  in  Prison,  and  ye  visited  me  !”■ — Matt,  xxv, 
36. 

No.  54. — Copy  of  the  Transfiguration. 

No.  55. — The  Communion  of  St.  Jerome.  Copied  from  Do- 
minichino. 


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